Chapter 23

*play the song above when mentioned to, it'll contribute to the feeling/emotion (optional)

Song: I think I'm in Love - Kat Dahlia

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Another week has gone by after the preparation of the Yule Ball by Professor McGonagall, throughout the entire week it seemed that students weren't really bothered with classes anymore as the only thing everybody would talk about is the Yule Ball.

Even, Professor Filtwick had given up trying to teach the students new charms as all he let them played some games on Wednesday during class, though it the other Professors weren't as forgiving.

Snape only gave everybody who weren't Slytherins tons of homework and essays to finish, he even planned a test on the antidotes that they were now learning to make the day before the holidays began, which obviously bugged Y/N a lot.

Though, what bugged her more is that she hasn't had the chance to talk to Hermione about the ball, she's been so caught up with work from Divination, Transfiguration and Potions that she hadn't had the time to even come merely close to talking to the bushy-haired girl.

She was now seated at the Great Hall with her friends, having their lunch on the Gryffindor table. It's been a while since Y/N had time to eat with her friends, she's always be stuck in the library doing her homework causing her eating and sleeping schedule to be a total mess.

It seemed that she wasn't the only one stressed out about the Yule Ball, she couldn't helped but notice Ron and Harry's gloomy looks as they surveyed the room but she herself wasn't far behind, she kept taking short glances at the bushy-haired girl, though her cheeks would heat up immensely if they'd connect gazes.

Lizzy noticed the group's odd demeanor as she cleared her throat, attempting to break off the awkward silence as she plopped a piece of bacon into her mouth, "So...the Yule Ball, have you all found your partners?"

Ron huffed at the mention of the Yule Ball as his shoulders slumped down, "It's mad, it's like we're the only ones in our year without dates." he groaned irritatedly, the Ravenclaw felt like disappearing on the spot, she really didn't want to have this conversation.

"Well...except Neville." Harry sounded, earning a snicker from Aidan, "Not quite, I asked him if he'd like to go as friends, so technically he's got someone."

Ron's face immediately fell into disbelief, "Now, I'm really depressed." he murmured lowly as the Ravenclaw rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You're so overdramatic."

"Says you! You don't have a partner either, besides you're going to be opening the ball!" Ron retaliated pointedly, earning a scolding glare from the Ravenclaw before she turned back, taking a short sheepish glance at the bushy-haired girl and accidentally locking eyes.

Though, she quickly pulled away as she shifted her gaze to the plate of food in front of her and shrugged, "I have someone in mind." she muttered under her breath as smirks began to curl up one everybody's lips, everybody except Hermione's.

"Sure you do." Lizzy mused to which Y/N scoffed at, "I do, besides anybody asked you?" she questioned curiously, earning a nod from Lizzy as she tilted her head towards Caleb, "We both agreed to go as friends, it'll be less awkward than to dance with some random douchebag at school."

The Ravenclaw hummed and nodded in response, though that didn't seem to drive Lizzy away from the conversation, "So, have you asked that person?"

Y/N's eyes narrowed at the girl beside her as she noticed her smirk only widening, she shook her head and rolled her eyes as she turned away, "Soon." was all she said before she finally had the courage to lift her gaze up to Hermione's.

"How about you?" she questioned curiously, no response from the bushy-haired girl as she averted her gaze down to the book in her hold, "Dunno." she muttered lowly.

Without realization a frown had formed on the Ravenclaw's face, though just as she was about to ask more questions, ron decided to cut her cue, "Look. We've just got to grit out teeth and do it. Tonight, when we all get back to the common room, we'll have partners, Agreed?"

Y/N and Harry exchanged uncertain glances, they hesitated a little before giving a slow nod. She couldn't help but think Ron might be right, she should just grit out teeth and do it, she took a sip of her goblet as she deeply recalled what Angelique had advised.

She didn't know if that had gave her courage, or a something in her goblet had gave the rush of adrenaline she needed. She had abruptly stood up from the table and stared at the bushy-haired girl straight in the eye, "Hermione, can we talk? Alone?"

Her sudden movements seemed to catch the bushy-haired girl off guard a little as her eyebrows furrowed deeply together, though nobody knew what was going on. She only responded with a sheepish nod as she shut her book and began to trail behind the Ravenclaw out of the Great Hall.

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*you can play the music now(optional)

Y/N had brought the bushy-haired girl away from the Great Hall, turning down to a more discreet and empty corridor before abruptly stopping, turning around to be met with a deeply puzzled Hermione that stood in front of her, "What's this about?"

Though, the Ravenclaw didn't answer as she slowly swung the door next to her open, peering her head inside before turning back to Hermione and nodding her head towards the empty classroom, "Let's talk in here."

Without letting the bushy-haired girl respond she had already walked into the classroom as Hermione skeptically walked in, hearing the door being shut behind her caused her eyebrows to only furrow deeper together, "Y/N, what's going on..?"

"Colloportus." Y/N muttered out with a flick of her wand as a click sounded from the door, she could sense the deep puzzlement of the bushy-haired girl behind her, though she only kept her gaze towards the door, "What are we."

The bushy-haired girl stared dazedly at the Ravenclaw's back, her eyebrows furrowing impossibly deeper together, "What?" she asked as Y/N slowly turned around to face her, though their gaze weren't connected as the Ravenclaw had her head down.

"What are we." she repeated, louder and clearer than before. The bushy-haired girl now understood where she was coming from as her eyebrows were no longer furrowed, instead they were raised slightly at the sudden question, though her voice seemed to have disappeared at the moment, nothing could come off her tongue as she just stared dazedly at the Ravenclaw.

The courage seemed to have hit Y/N as she slowly lifted her gaze, connecting it with those radiant brown eyes she still found admirable, letting out a sigh before she took a small step forward, "Hermione, I need to know, what are we. Friends? Exes? Enemies?"

Though, once again no response from the bushy-haired girl but that didn't seem to discourage the Ravenclaw from voicing out, "It's so confusing. It's like some days you hate me, some days you're okay with me, some days you act like we're still...."

She stopped herself, hesitant to complete that sentence as she knew it would either make things worse or make things better, but it was a risk she had to take if she wanted to find out the truth, "together..."

"Please just help me understand, I can't do this anymore, Mione, I really can't. I need some form of confirmation from your end, it's torturing to just guess." Y/N pleaded, though once again no response from the latter.

A sigh was what escaped Y/N's lips as she clicked her tongue and turned away, "Fine, come back when you're able to talk-"

"Because I am."

Instantly, the Ravenclaw wheeled around, her eyebrows furrowing deeply together as she eyed the slight penitent state of the bushy-haired girl, though she kept her silence to allow her to continue.

"I'm confused too, ever since that fight, I never quite realised how much I truly loved you until that happened." Hermione admitted, "It was hard on me too, I was trying to figure out where my feelings truly stood for you."

The slight shakiness from the bushy-haired girl's tone caused Y/N's expression to softened, still keeping her silence as she continued to listen intently to the latter, "It was so bad that I even said Yes to Viktor Krum when he asked me to the Yule Ball."

Y/N swore she felt her heart shatter, the feeling of defeat flew throughout her blood, the ache from her heart seemed to have took a hold of her, "So..you're going to the ball with...Krum...?"

Though, when Hermione responded with a shake of her head, the Ravenclaw fell into a pit of confusion once more, "After the preparation, when we..danced. I couldn't imagine myself dancing with Krum and I wouldn't want to ruin it for him just because of my mixed feelings for you."

"I told him that I couldn't join him for the dance, I thought that maybe if I went with him, my feelings for you would go away but they didn't, they only increased." she confessed, "I apologised though, I think I quite upsetted him with the sudden change of plans but he was really nice about it."

Y/N felt her heart instantly fixing itself back to pieces, the temptation to smile crept inside of her though, she held her composure, knowing it wasn't quite the right time to break out a laugh.

Instead, a comforting smile curled up her lips as she motioned closer to the bushy-haired girl, hesitantly she reached her hand down to Hermione's, slowly intertwining it, her heart fluttering at the contact of her soft skin, "I'm sorry for what happened-"

"No, I don't deserve the apologizing." Hermione interjected as she lifted her gaze to meet Y/N's, her lips pursing together at the rush of guilt filling her body, "It's you who deserves apologizing."

"If only I had put my jealousy aside, none of this would've happened. You wouldn't have to bare the feeling of hopelessness when quite literally you thought the universe was already going against you." she huffed, "I should've been there for you, it was the least I could do but I was so self-absorbed that instead of helping, I added burden onto your shoulders."

Y/N only stood there as she listened intently to every word that escaped Hermione's lips, her thumb softly caressing the skin of her hand as she watched the bushy-haired girl rant.

She could tell the bushy-haired girl was genuinely mad at herself, though she knew better than to stop her, she could tell she'd been holding it in for quite some time, all she was there to do was listen.

"You were once again being hunted down and instead of helping you like an actual good girlfriend would, I decided to break up with you when you were at your lowest." Hermione spat, "Honestly, how could I be so stupid!"

Y/N watched the bushy-haired girl amusingly, a soft chuckle escaped her lips that caused Hermione to turn her attention back to the Ravenclaw, "Feel any better?" she questioned gently, earning a sheepish smile and nod from the bushy-haired girl.

Snickering softly to herself, she let her hands move up to wrap around the bushy-haired girl's waist as she pulled her in closer, their body's now flushed against each other as Hermione wrapped her arms around her neck, burying her head into the crook of her neck.

Her heart were doing flips and twists at the long lost contact, it's been so long since they've shared a hug like this. Instinctively, she let her hand slowly rub the fabric on her back as she let out a deep sigh, "I'm not mad at you, besides I did blow up on you, that was my mistake."

Though, she felt the bushy-haired girl shake her head on her neck before she pulled away, "I started it, besides with everything that happened to you that day, it really wasn't you're fault." she sighed as she started to trace small shapes around the back of the Ravenclaw's neck.

A grin had formed on Y/N's lips as she admired the bushy-haired girl's features, it's been awhile since she was really able to admire her beauty, a breathless chuckle escaped her lips as she stared at Hermione dreamily, "Does this means I still get to call you mine?"

Y/N's grin turned into a smirk as she noticed the light pink hue flashed across Hermione's cheeks, the bushy-haired girl rolled her eyes playfully before responding with a nod, "Yes."

Y/N's smirked only widened as her courage had now fully restored, "So..... come to the Yule Ball with me," she asked in a dreamy tone, earning a soft snicker from the latter as she nodded, "I'd love to."

The Ravenclaw's grin widened immensely as she leaned closer to the bushy-haired girl, their faces only inches apart as her eyes flickered down to her lips and back to her eyes, "It wasn't a question." she retaliated playfully before clashing her lips against Hermione's.

She swore she felt her heart do jumping jacks as she felt the soft lips being passionately pressed onto hers once more, just like their first kiss back in third year, she felt the sparking sensation run throughout her body.

After a few seconds, she slowly pulled away, a pop sounding from their lips as they separated, leaving only their foreheads in contact as the Ravenclaw chuckled breathlessly to herself, "You don't know how much I wanted to do this for so long."

The bushy-haired girl hummed in response as she leaned in for another quick peck on the lips before pulling away, "Me too."

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