Hermione's friends were immediately on fire when she told them the coincidences that had come up in the conversation with Raphaël.
Only Lavender, to everyone's surprise, was a little sceptic.
"Somehow...Well, I don't know." She read through the messages again and tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Well, these are all very noticeable points, of course, but the person I was writing with at the time wrote differently. He used a lot more emojis, but they had hyphens as noses. And his messages were much shorter."
Harry and Parvati instantly dropped their smiles.
"I think it's best we just wait and see what Fleur has to say about his pictures," Ginny suggested.
"If she doesn't know him, we can be pretty sure we're on the right track. If he actually went to her school, at least we know who to stop paying attention to."
The group nodded and everyone seemed to feel similarly to Hermione. Confident, but still cautious.
It actually took two unbearable long days for Fleur to send her owl back. Two days in which Hermione fooled Raphaël into thinking that his messages were the highlights of her day.
When Fleur's owl floated elegantly through the Great Hall and landed silently on Ginny's shoulder, Harry and Ron immediately moved closer to be the first to hear what this important answer would be.
But before the eagerly awaited result could be announced, something red whooshed past them.
The small red envelope came to a stop right in front of Neville's face and hovered menacingly up and down in front of his nose.
Nothing could silence the entire Great Hall faster than a howler.
In seconds you could have heard a needle drop in every corner.
Neville clasped his hands around the edge of the wooden bench beside him and swallowed hard as his classmates hurriedly made room around him. Nobody wanted to sit right next to someone opening a howler.
"Neville Longbottom," his grandmother's voice screeched out from the suddenly burst envelope.
He reflexively squinted his eyes shut and immediately sank a few inches further into the bench.
"Can you explain to me what in Merlin's name you're doing with that type box thing? Yesterday I received a bill over ten galleons! TEN GALLEONS! For something called Candy Crush? Did you buy candy for that amound of money? What's gotten into you? Don't expect a single christmas present this year! You're lucky if I let you in the house at all! I demand an explanation! And don't think I'm going to pay you for it, it's coming straight out of your pocket money!"
As quickly as the letter had rushed in, it fell silent again and landed on Nevilles plate.
He still had his eyes closed, pale as Sir Nicholas, and did not dare look around at the others.
After a few startled seconds, loud laughter erupted at the Slytherin table, slowly spreading through the whole room.
Hermione bit her tongue to keep herself together. She felt sorry for Neville, but she couldn't deny that it was a tiny bit funny.
Ten Galleons for Candy Crush...Maybe now he would finally stop sending her game requests.
It actually took her quite a while to remember what they all were originally up to.
"Now go and see what Fleur has written," she called to Ginny, who also blinked in wonder for a moment before tearing open the letter.
After her eyes skipped frantically over the lines, she slumped her shoulders in disappointment.
"She knows him," she sighed, "I guess he was actually known on Beauxbatons for his Quidditch skills and really was hired straight out of school as a professional player."
Ginny looked to Hermione and smirked. "But Fleur congratulates you on the match, as I suppose he's always been very popular with the ladies, and sends her love to you all."
She folded up the letter and pocketed it before giving Fleur's owl a treat and sending her off again.
"Oh great, so back to square one," Ron grumbled.
Hermione had lost her appetite. Damn.
She had been really sure she had the right guy on the hook. Even in the messages of the last few days, there had just been too much to dismiss as coincidence.
For example, he had written to her that he had seen moon calves during a night walk and then had not been able to stop raving about how amazing those animals are.
"Wasn't there anyone else you noticed in the last few days?", Harry wanted to know.
"I would have told you straight away," Hermione replied, poking listlessly at her food.
"Well, someone texted me the day before yesterday who's pretty suspicious," Dean interjected.
"I just didn't want to startle you all right away, but by now it's getting kind of noticeable."
"Let me see!" exclaimed Lavender immediately, leaning over to Dean so far that she was practically lying on the tabletop.
It didn't take Hermione long to realise what Dean found so suspicious about his match. The pictures of the user "Lizzy0496" showed a pretty witch with reddish-blonde curls and many freckles.
Among other things, her profile said that she liked to play Quidditch, was a family person and had several siblings herself. She was practically Ginny, just two years older.
"Where's she from?" asked Harry, who took a conspicuously long time examining the pictures.
"That's the point that particularly puzzled me yesterday," Dean replied, finally having his friends' full attention.
"Supposedly she's originally from the US and is moving to Scotland very soon."
"To work as a waitress?" called Lavender, getting elbowed in the ribs by Ginny, whereupon she ducked her head and looked around hurriedly. Apparently, however, no one was interested in their conversation right now. Those who were no longer making fun of poor Neville were currently loudly discussing the Ravenclaws' past Quidditch match against Slytherin.
"No, it's not quite that obvious after all," Dean replied. "Supposedly she's doing a year abroad as an Auror trainee."
"Hmm," Harry went on. "Doesn't sound all that unsuspicious, in any case." He exhaled noisily and drained his glass. "I really thought this was going to be easier."
"After all, if it had been so obvious, I would have noticed it in time," Seamus grumbled. "I'm not that stupid."
"That's not what I meant, I just thought"
"Never mind," Seamus cut Harry off and made a dismissive hand gesture.
"Can I read what you wrote?" asked Harry, still holding Dean's phone.
"Sure," Dean agreed, nodding.
Hermione, sitting next to Harry, felt surprisingly uncomfortable reading the messages between them. After all, her friends had been allowed to read the previous messages between Raphaël and her as well. It was just research and not serious attempts at flirting, anyway.
There hadn't been many messages at all, yet. They talked about school, Lizzy's supposed year abroad, siblings and family.
When Dean got his phone back, however, Hermione did notice something odd.
"Isn't it also weird that she's texting someone she just matched on an app about her year abroad as an Auror trainee?" she remarked.
"Do you just tell random people on the internet? I mean, Aurors actually live quite dangerously."
"Good point," Ron agreed and Lavender also pursed her lips appreciatively.
"Well, this is getting quite promising after all," Harry said optimistically.
"We should definitely agree to any request for a meeting, no matter who it comes to first," he stated expertly.
"The sooner, the more likely it is to be our wanted one."
Hermione shuddered at the thought of going on a blind date with someone from Amortentia, but she knew she wouldn't be alone in the process, of course.
However, this poked her in the face with another point that made Raphaël even more unsuspicious. He had not yet mentioned with a single word that he was planning a trip to Scotland.
She should probably start coming up with an excuse to stop writing to him.
"Objection," Ginny said, chewing and extending her index finger in Harry's direction.
"If we go on a date right away, the same thing will happen as with Seamus and we won't be a step further to who it actually is. He or she will just not show up, laugh it off and we'll know just as little as we did before. We should delay the meeting a bit but hold out the prospect of it happening," she suggested.
"Then we won't get dumped again right away and can somehow squeeze out more details. Maybe by the meeting place or... we'll think of something then."
"Sounds like a great plan," Lavender scoffed.
"Better suggestions are always welcome," Hermione returned.
Everyone fell somewhat silent. They really didn't have a plan. Motivation, still. But exposing a profile as fake didn't mean finding out who was behind it.
Raphaël_A_B - 12:35 pm
Hey, how are you today? Has the Christmas spirit already taken over the castle? My neighbours are seriously starting to decorate today.
Do you go home for Christmas, or can you spend the holidays at school?
When Hermione read the message after the last lesson of the day, she thought for a while whether she should write him directly that she was not interested in further conversation.
Somehow, though, that seemed too rude to her.
Fleur had confirmed his story and that meant he really was stuck in a small town and felt alone.
She could well remember what Viktor had told her then about life as a successful athlete. You were idolised as long as you performed as such, but off the field it could quickly become stiflingly quiet and lonely.
She also couldn't deny that he was really nice. Even if she wasn't interested in him in a romantic way, she could keep talking to him, couldn't she?
She had to admit to herself that it was quite a nice distraction from school after all, even if she was no longer driven by her detective work.
Hermione - 3:40 pm
Hey, I'm quite good. What about yourself? The Christmas spirit is still holding up here, but Hogwarts is really beautifully decorated every December.
I actually go home for the holidays every year, but it would be possible to stay here, too.
What's it like for you this year? Are you visiting your family or celebrating with your team?
Raphaël_A_B - 3:43 pm
Pretty good too, our last game could have gone better but hey - a win is a win, right?
That sounds great. Beauxbatons was always very pompously decorate as well. It was almost too much of a good thing for me at times.
I think I'll go to my parents, too, but I'll have to search for some anticipation first. At such family celebrations my mother would rather present her sisters with a son who has learned "something decent" and doesn't just throw balls through rings. But at least there's always good food :)
Was this guy always online when Hermione wrote to him? She had actually expected top athletes to be busier during the day than boarders.
She retreated to a corner of the library and typed her reply. And a few minutes later, the next reply. And the next. And the next...
Before she knew it, an hour had passed without her even opening one of her books.
Hermione was literally startled when she looked at her watch. However, that hour of writing back and forth had finally convinced her that Raphaël was simply Raphaël and not one of her classmates. He sent her a picture of the bench overlooking the Quiberon Quafflepunchers stadium.
When she googled the stadium, no such pictures came up. The team didn't have a homepage, so where else would he have got that photo from?
This was the starting signal for something Hermione would never have thought possible.
She texted with Raphaël every day from that afternoon on. Always between lessons and dinner, when he had also just finished training and was walking along the harbour, or sitting in his living room in front of the fireplace.
Every day they wrote back and forth for at least an hour. Hermione wrote about the upcoming exams and Raphaël encouraged her that she would surely do well. They told each other about their Christmas traditions, why they weren't really looking forward to spending time with their parents and what they had liked best about Christmas as children.
Raphaël told her that he was thinking of getting a pet and Hermione told him about Crookshanks. She even sent him a photo of herself with the cat on her arm.
Meanwhile, Dean seemed increasingly certain that the ominous Lizzy was the catfish. Harry, Ron and Seamus were glued to him almost every night, advising on the best way to respond to the messages.
It was a strange new routine that Hermione would never have expected, especially in her final year.
Finally, on a cosy evening in the common room, with a few snowflakes blowing through the darkness outside, it was time.
"She wants to meet him," Harry hissed to Lavender and Parvati, who were searching online for dresses for the Slytherin party while Hermione was on the same couch going over her notes from the last Potions lesson.
"Ooooh!" went Lavender, clapping her hands together excitedly.
"When? Where?" asked Parvati just as brightly and was immediately next to Dean.
"Relax," Ron said, making room for the girls. "She just asked, whether Dean wants to meet her when she's in Scotland."
"And when would that be?" Hermione wanted to know.
"Supposedly she's in the middle of moving," Dean explained. "So we could meet up in Hogsmeade before Christmas."
"Okay, so now what?" asked Lavender impatiently. "We still don't have a plan for what exactly we're going to do now?"
Harry raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath.
"I think the only thing left for us to do is to observe whoever from Hogwarts is hanging around the meeting place. I'm guessing whoever it is wants to watch someone getting stood up."
"I also can't think of much else," Hermione admitted.
So the plan, which wasn't really worthy of that term, was in place and Hermione found herself in Gladrags Wizardwear just one day before she was due to go home for Christmas.
She couldn't quite believe herself that she had actually agreed to go dress shopping with Ginny, Lavender, Padma and Parvati.
Everything for the plan, of course.
After all, they could't invade Madame Puddifoot's Café with nine of them and sit at the small tables without being conspicuous to the maximum.
There were still over two hours to pass until the date should take place, but they wanted to make it look as realistic and innocuous as possible.
Hermione had originally wanted to just wear her dress from the Yule Ball two years ago to the party, but in had already been quite tight then and now it only fit as long as she was standing up straight.
Hermione didn't intend to stand in a corner all evening, but wanted to be able to sit down sometimes. So, for better or for worse, a new outfit was needed, anyway.
The boys also wanted to look for suits and afterwards Ron wanted to come to the café with Lavender for a date. So the two of them would be able to watch the small interior of the café.
Seamus and Harry were to position themselves against a nearby wall of the building with the latest edition of the Quidditch Times and pretend to survey the offerings in the window of the sports shop.
The rest of the girls would, purely by chance, have tea at the café after their shopping trip, having taken Lavender there. That was the plan.
While Padma and Parvati immediately pounced on the most colourful dresses in the shop and Lavender delightedly squealed as she hung one piece after the other into her changing room, Ginny and Hermione stood a little lost among the racks of clothes and mannequins.
"Listen, um..." whispered Ginny to Hermione, sheepishly putting a hand to the back of her own neck.
"Now what exactly does Black Tie mean again?"
Hermione smiled and pointed to one of the mannequins wearing a bright red floor length dress.
"Something like that. Floor length, no crazy patterns, muted colours as far as I know." She looked over at the twins, who so far had only pink, light green and turquoise fabric hanging over their arms. Lavender's cubicle contained mostly pink and a lot of glitter.
"I don't know how strict the Slytherins will be," Hermione added.
"Oh, they'll point out every little detail to not let those in they dislike," Ginny grumbled.
"But they also know that a party with only Slytherins will be a bit boring and, above all, small," Hermione replied, walking over to a rack of dark colours.
"Also true," Ginny agreed, "Besides, they'll want to bug us with some of their stupid games. I wander what those will be."
"Here, this is something for you!" exclaimed Parvati, holding out a long dark green v-neck dress to Ginny. She eyed it briefly and then shook her head.
"It's quite nice, but I'm certainly not going to wear green to a Slytherin party."
Hermione gave her a searching look. She hadn't seen her friend with Theo at all in the last few days, but so far there hadn't been a good moment to ask her about it.
"You won't?" echoed Parvati. "I thought you were with... with Theo? You're not? I didn't say anything!" Parvati whirled around hastily and hung the dress back. Ginny's look had answered all the unspoken questions.
"We were never officially together," she nevertheless remarked after a silent minute. "So there's no official break-up either."
Hermione struggled to interpret her tone. She didn't sound angry, more forcedly neutral.
"So does this mean he's going to ruin that evening for you, or is it really all good?" chimed Lavender's voice from behind the curtain.
"It's really all good," Ginny assured her. "We just had different expectations and luckily we realised that very quickly."
Hermione could tell Padma and Parvati were bursting with curiosity about details, but they held themselves back.
"Well, then this maybe?", Parvati steered the topic back to fashion and showed Ginny a dress made of flowing black fabric with glittery sequin spilling out towards the bottom.
"I'll try it on," Ginny agreed and disappeared into the cubicle next to Lavender.
"But speaking of," the latter's voice rang out again, just before she sweepingly pulled the curtain aside and presented herself in her first dress.
"Who will be your dates?"
The twins rolled their eyes and Parvati hunched her shoulders. "I think I'll just ask Seamus," she said with a shrug. "He thinks the whole thing is as silly as I do, but at least he's funny."
"Maybe I'll just ask Michael," Padma mused. "He's always been big with his supposed successes on Amortentia, but I've never seen him go on an actual date."
"And then you're going to do him the favour of asking him out on your own?" exclaimed Ginny, letting her belt drop noisily to the floor.
"At least then I know he'll say yes for sure, so he won't end up without a date," Padma retorted, to which Hermione and Parvati gave her an almost horrified look.
"A lot of people would say yes to you!" protested Hermione.
"Definitely," Parvati agreed. "Please don't torture yourself with Michael just because of that reason! Why don't you ask Harry or Dean?"
"Harry already has a date," came from behind the curtain. The other four exchanged meaningful glances and stepped closer to Ginny's cubicle.
"I see," Lavender purred. "That could not possibly be someone in this room?"
"Yes, he asked me yesterday," Ginny replied dryly. A zipper was heard being jerked shut and a moment later Ginny stood in front of them in the black dress.
"And?" she asked.
"And?" repeated Lavender. "Why haven't you told us about that yet?"
"I meant what you thought of the dress," Ginny replied.
"Great," Hermione commented. "Really great, it looks really good on you and why haven't you told us about it yet?"
Ginny made an annoyed sound and pulled the curtain back shut.
"It's no big deal, we'll all find someone to go with so the snakes can't bust our balls all night with their games. It doesn't mean anything."
Hermione and Lavender exchanged knowing glances and all four grinned to themselves as Parvati and Padma disappeared into cubicles themselves.
"Hmm..." made Hermione, crossing her arms. "Well, if you say so. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything that he's been in a better mood the last few days since you stopped hanging out with Theo."
"Oh, bullshit," Ginny protested, but Hermione was sure she could hear a smile in her voice there.
"We'll see about that," Lavender stated, firmly amused.
"But I wouldn't ask Dean either, Padma," Ginny exclaimed, trying to steer the topic away from herself.
"Why? Has he got someone yet?" asked Padma.
"Not yet, but if Hermione doesn't ask him before she leaves fort he holidays, I'll hide her luggage."
Hermione's eyes widened and she was very glad that everyone was just out of sight and couldn't see the blush creeping up her face.
"What, why? What do you mean?" she stammered.
"Oh come on, now, don't pretend," Lavender joined in. "I'm also surprised you're both acting like this."
"For weeks!" affirmed Ginny.
"Dean and Hermione?" giggled Padma, poking her head out of the cubicle.
"No!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Not yet," Lavender corrected.
"Nonsense, there's nothing between Dean and me."
"Yeah, not yet." Ginny held the dress out to Hermione before she finished putting her clothes back on.
"You really are imagining the wildest things." Hermione tried hard to sound unconcerned and amused, but somehow she couldn't quite manage it.
To keep herself occupied, she continued to look at dresses. Averted from her friends so they couldn't see how red she had turned, once one of them was to come out of her cubicle again.
The four others giggled like first year girls, but thankfully left Hermione alone for now.
The two hours passed surprisingly quickly, even though Ginny had only tried on this one dress and decided on it straight away.
She busied herself afterwards with hanging the others' rejected models back and dissuading Lavender from a pink pile of tulle that reminded her too much of her pygmy puff.
Parvati and Padma left the shop with nearly identical outfits. The same dress, once in blue for Padma and in red for Parvati. Hermione, after much tossing and turning between plain and plainer, had opted for a burgundy dress with off-shoulder sleeves. She did think the colour made her look a little pale, but the others emphatically assured her that she was made for that dress.
On the way to the café, they all had to try very hard not to scan every face that passed them by too obviously.
However, they didn't run into a single Hogwarts student.
Many were already on their way home today and the weather was also not inviting to hang out in the streets of Hogmeade.
Only Professor Sprout and Professor Trelawney passed them with large shopping bags in their hands.
Harry and Seamus were standing against a nearby wall of a house with their magazines in their hands, as agreed, when the girls reached the café.
Ron was waiting outside the door and greeted Lavender with an amorous smile and a sugary sweet kiss on the forehead.
Padma sighed softly when she saw the two of them like that.
"Shall we also have some tea before we go back?" asked Parvati, putting all her acting skills into that sentence so that it didn't sound arranged.
"Sure, good idea," Hermione agreed and followed Lavender and Ron inside.
Inside the café it was cosy and warm and there was a wonderful smell of pastries and freshly ground coffee.
But there was no one suspicious to be seen here either. The only Hogwarts student besides Ron was Dean, who was already waiting at a table.
As the girls sat down at the largest free table, with the second a waitress came to them with a full tray and started setting down cups in front of them.
"Oh, we haven't ordered anything yet," Hermione remarked in surprise.
"It's from your friend over there," the woman explained, making a head movement in Dean's direction. There were four cups of steaming hot chocolate in front of them.
Hermione didn't notice herself smiling until the other three started giggling and giving each other meaningful looks.
"You guys are unbearable," Hermione merely commented, looking towards the door as the small bell above it rang softly. Still no one they knew.
"Maybe it's a bit conspicuous that we're all here after all," Padma pondered quietly.
"It is what it is now," Ginny said. "Leaving in a hurry now would be even more noticable."
Hermione looked at her phone. Harry had texted her.
Harry 3:25 pm
There's absolutely no one here.
Just old people and a couple of second years.
Hermione 3:26 pm
Same here. That's weird. Maybe we were too obvious after all.
Just as she had sent the message, the door of the café opened again. Hermione, who had the best view of it, almost dropped her phone.
"What is it?" hissed Ginny, who was sitting opposite her, not wanting to turn around directly.
"The um... the date is here," Hermione whispered, forcing herself to look away again.
Padma and Parvati made an effort to look discreetly to the side, while Ginny just frowned uncomprehendingly.
"What do you mean, the date? The real date?"
"Yes, apparently," Parvati confirmed. She also sounded stunned.
Standing in the room was a young woman with reddish blonde curls, freckles and thick winter clothes. Lizzy.
At that moment Dean proved that he was probably the best actor of all present. He stood up and greeted Lizzy with a hug. Took her coat and immediately started casual small talk.
"You've got to be kidding me," Ginny grumbled. "I was really so sure."
"Me too," Padma agreed. "I'll write to Seamus and let him know they don't have to stand in the cold any longer."
Hermione drank her chocolate and fell quiet. All for nothing again.
"Maybe that guy just stopped playing games," Parvati suggested.
"Yes, possible," her sister agreed. "Do you think we were too conspicuous after all and he knows we're looking for him?"
"Then it ended up being someone else from Gryffindor listening to us in the common room," Ginny speculated sullenly.
"Would be okay, though," Padma muttered. "We don't know who it was, but as long as it's over now..."
"That's not enough!" protested Ginny. "Someone like that deserves at least a kick in the shins. Or higher."
The three of them sank into a quiet conversation full of speculation and new ideas, while Hermione continued to remain silent, twirling her cup back and forth. Not only did she have the best view of the door, but also of the table where Lizzy and Dean were now sitting.
She could see them talking happily, Lizzy holding her hand up to her mouth and tossing her hair back as she laughed.
She saw how Dean gestured while he told her something and how they both listened to each other with interest.
She saw Dean nervously clasping his hands together under the table from time to time and Lizzy looking into his eyes for far too long.
And she saw Lizzy lean over the table a little at one point and put her hand on Dean's arm as she seemed to agree to something he had just said.
"Right, Hermione?", Ginny's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Huh?", Hermione blinking a few times.
"I asked if we should just go, we don't have anything else to do here."
"Yes, of course." Hermione reached for her shopping bag under the table and her jacket over the chair. She couldn't leave the café fast enough.
Thankfully, it was the last day at Hogwarts before the holidays. Just a few weeks ago she had been looking for excuses to spend those days at the castle or with the Weasleys after all, but now she was even looking forward a little to the time at home.
Without detective work, without school, without classmates. Without Dean.
Raphaël_A_B - 5:50 pm
Hey, sorry for the late reply. I hope you got home safely.
The first thing I was told after I came through my parents door was how awful my hair looks. Always my favourite welcome :D
But at least the dog is happy about my presence. How are you spending the rest of the day?
Hermione 5:53 pm
Hey, no problem. I barely have internet on the Hogwarts Express anyway.
I'm wrapping presents right now.
You haven't said anything about the dog yet, what kind is he? What's his name?
Crookshanks always enjoys it when we're at home. He can just lie on the windowsill all day
without any first graders bugging him.
Raphaël_A_B - 5:55 pm
Bernie is a beagle. Eats everything he can reach, but otherwise he's the greatest dog in the world :D
I'd get one for my place, too, but I'm too busy.
That would be nonsense and just not good for the animal.
Raphaël_A_B - 5:56 pm
*Raphaël sent you a picture*.
Raphaël_A_B - 6:05 pm
Hey, you have to write something like "Oh my god, that's the cutest dog I've ever seen" or "He's so precious I can't!" xD
Hermione - 6:07 pm
Sorry, I was just struggling with that last present. Round things are really remarkably hard to wrap.
Hermione - 6:08 pm
Sorry, I'm somehow not that talkative today. I guess I'm a bit off track. The last few days have been pretty exhausting and kind of weird.
Raphaël_A_B - 6:11 pm
No stress. You can just check back in when you feel like it :)
I don't want to bug you, but if you want to vent about something, I'm happy to listen.
Just one question: why don't you just magically put the wrapping paper on it?
Hermione - 6:14pm
The presents are for my muggle relatives. My parents prefer it when I do little things like this without magic. If it's too perfect, I'm sure they'd get another "inconspicuous" looks at each other.
I'm afraid I can't really vent to you about this. This affects many classmates of mine. Even if you don't know all of them, I would feel guilty writing about it with you.
Raphaël_A_B - 6:16 pm
Oh, do you have a hard time at school? Luckily I really can't speak to that, I've always had good friends around me, no one ever thought of teasing me.
Hermione - 6:17 pm
No, no it's not that at all! I have very good friends at Hogwarts. We just want to help some classmates with a problem and it's more complicated than we thought.
Besides, there's a big New Year's Eve party coming up and then there are such stupid things like feelings.
Immediately after sending the message, Hermione dropped her phone onto the thick duvet. Why had she written that now? Oh man, that was embarrassing. Was it still possible to delete it?
Raphaël's reply was there faster than she could look it up. How fast could this guy type, for Godric's sake?
Raphaël_A_B - 6:18 pm
Feelings? Is that that weird stuff they always talk about in movies? :D
Just joking...
That's very noble of you to go out of your way to help your classmates.
But don't forget to think about yourself, okay? Wow, I sound like my herbology teacher... :D
Hermione coudn't help but smile. In a way, it was kind of cute how he cared about her.
In general, Raphaël always seemed to care about how she was doing. And no matter what she wrote, he never made fun of anything or talked down situations.
Maybe because he was feeling the same way as she was right now.
At that moment, she was actually quite glad that he had texted her weeks ago. Even if he wasn't the catfish she was looking for.
He was someone with whom she was surprisingly on the same wavelength and who was happy to receive her messages.
Harry and Ron had no internet in the burrow and no other reception, either. Molly and Arthur always had to set fixed times and leave the forest to make phone calls ith their children.
This left them with only owl mail for the holidays, which took its time.
So the well-rehearsed rhythm remained at home and Hermione could at least chat with Raphaël every evening before she went to bed.
Even though she kept forgetting the time.
