Quidditch season had started again, which meant Hermione was once more subjected to that insufferable flashing smile of yours—the same one you wore every time your mischievous arse sent another player tumbling toward the hospital wing.

It was no secret that she hated you. Merlin, everyone knew it. You were the type of person who managed to irritate her simply by existing—by breathing too loudly in the library, by laughing too freely in the common room, by outscoring her once (and only once) on a Potions exam. Whatever the reason, she told herself you were her greatest annoyance. Yet despite her claims, Hermione couldn’t ignore the truth gnawing at her: she was slowly, helplessly, falling.

From the stands, she sat rigid, wand in hand, muttering little hexes under her breath every time you darted past (hexes that suspiciously never landed). In her mind, though, she was cheering for you, even as she told herself she shouldn’t. You were brain, brawn… and, damn it all, beauty. That was the problem. That was why she hated you so much—because she couldn’t get enough of you.

Then it happened. You lost focus—just for a second. The Bludger struck hard, and you plummeted toward the ground. Hermione’s breath caught, her chest tightening as her heart pounded with a sudden, terrifying urgency. She wanted to scream, to leap, to do something.

“Bloody idiot,” she muttered as the rival Seeker caught the Snitch, ending the game.

Without a second thought, she was on her feet, rushing down to the pitch even as the nurses pushed their way through the crowd.

“You absolute ass!” she snapped, crouching by your side, her voice sharper than she intended. “Why weren’t you paying attention? You could’ve been a lot worse off than this!”

Her hand moved on its own, finding yours, gripping tight. She didn’t realize what she’d done until your teammates’ curious stares made her cheeks burn. She quickly pulled back, flustered.

“Not that I care!” she blurted, dropping your hand as if it had burned her. Then, chin lifted and face red, she turned away.