The boy held the girl's hand as they strolled leisurely through the familiar corridors of Hogwarts. Tonight marked the end-of-term feast.
As students passed by, many who knew Hermione, or at least recognized her, greeted the young witch. She returned each greeting with a warm smile.
By now, the young witches and wizards had grown accustomed to the inconspicuous boy with the black satin ribbon who often accompanied Hermione—or rather, they had long since accepted him.
After all, Glenn Hawthorne was now officially Hermione's boyfriend. The two no longer needed to sneak around holding hands in public. While Hermione still felt shy about doing anything too intimate in public (like hugging or kissing on the cheek—what are you imagining?), holding hands was something she had no qualms about.
In fact, she wished she could hold Glenn's hand and parade across all of Hogwarts to announce to everyone that he was her boyfriend. And, in a way, she had done just that—albeit not as dramatically.
Hermione's possessiveness was quite strong.
As a result, aside from Hermione's closest friends who had long suspected something between her and Glenn, all her other friends—whether new acquaintances or old—were now well aware of Glenn Hawthorne's existence.
This was also thanks to Glenn's usual quiet demeanor and his habit of practicing enhancement spells that made him less noticeable in daily life. Though a boy wearing a black satin ribbon was indeed unique, the novelty wore off quickly. Glenn's naturally low-key personality, combined with the effects of his spells, made him fade into the background.
But thanks to Hermione's "show-off" behavior, Glenn once again became a topic of interest among the students.
Not that Glenn minded being seen as "Hermione Granger's boyfriend." To him, it was just a superficial impression that could be erased with stronger concealment spells and a gradual reduction of his presence. His daily training continued as usual, aiming for the day when his presence would naturally fade away once more.
...Or so he thought?
Hermione's popularity at Hogwarts was quite high, thanks to her perfect grades, polite and friendly demeanor, and her impartial treatment of others. Unlike the typical Gryffindors, she was calm and composed (polite Gryffindor: "Are you sure?"). Her helpful nature earned her many friends and positive impressions.
Of course, there were also plenty of young wizards and witches who admired her. After all, Hermione herself was an adorable and beautiful young girl. Though she hadn't fully grown into her looks yet, her beauty was already beginning to show.
Because of Glenn's influence, Hermione had toned down her sharpness and no longer spoke bluntly or harshly. Under her good friend's guidance, she even learned how to dress up and present her best self. Though she found it a bit troublesome to spend time in the morning fixing her appearance—time she could have spent sleeping in—she couldn't deny that...
Taking care of her appearance did feel good.
Hermione's appearance had always been neat and tidy, but with the help of her knowledgeable dormmates, she now looked even more radiant.
The saying that one's appearance can affect their mood proved true. Hermione was now full of energy every morning, in high spirits and brimming with confidence. Her demeanor was completely different from when she first entered Hogwarts.
This change became even more apparent after she officially started dating Glenn.
Though Hermione's transformation was gradual, it didn't escape the notice of others. It was only natural for young wizards to be drawn to her.
Glenn: "Logically speaking, I'm not 'natural,' let alone emotionally normal. So no, don't even think about it."
Ahem...
But the students of this era were still simple and kind-hearted. Those who admired Hermione, whether wizards or witches, gave up their feelings with a sigh when they realized she was taken.
Some couldn't help but blame themselves for not noticing Hermione's beauty earlier, allowing Glenn Hawthorne to seize the opportunity.
If Hermione knew what they were thinking, she might not be able to hold back her laughter.
However, these reactions were mostly seen among Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs. Over in Slytherin, where students had been closely observing the couple's progress, the atmosphere was thick with jealousy.
It wasn't that they disapproved of the relationship. In fact, many Slytherins had become admirers of Hermione after witnessing her brilliance during the first Dueling Club session. After observing the close bond between Glenn and Hermione, they reluctantly accepted that the two were destined to be together.
The Slytherins were simply...envious.
As a result, various factions formed within Slytherin.
There were the "Purely Jealous Faction," the "Steal Granger Faction," the "Sabotage Faction," and the "Instigate Conflict Faction"...
The usually united Slytherins were on the verge of splitting apart.
Of course, there was also the "Shipping Faction."
Incidentally, the leader of this faction was Draco Malfoy. As a friend of the couple, he had long seen through everything. While the other factions clashed, he quietly raised the Glenn-Hermione banner, waiting for others to come to terms with reality.
After Hermione made their relationship public, Draco noticed that the atmosphere between the two had become even...stickier.
Well, forgive young Malfoy for his limited vocabulary—he couldn't quite bring himself to use the word "sweet."
Now, when he saw the two of them together (not really being overly affectionate), he no longer felt uncomfortable. Instead...
Instead, he found himself wanting a sweet romance of his own.
Draco rested his chin on his hand, staring at the blackboard in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Glenn and Hermione sitting in the row ahead, their hands clasped together the entire time. The faint warmth emanating from them stirred something within him.
Perhaps his previous views on love had been slightly off?
If someone as cold and fearsome as Glenn could find sweet love, then what about him—a relatively normal person?
His thoughts wandered briefly, but Draco quickly refocused on the lesson, his quill floating as he diligently took notes.
Still, it didn't stop him from multitasking, pondering his own future.
"Neville."
Suddenly, he leaned over and whispered to the boy beside him.
"Have you ever thought about dating?"
"?!"
Neville froze at the unexpected question. Seeing Draco's strange expression, his own face twisted in confusion.
After a moment of deliberation, Neville made up his mind and replied in a low voice:
"...Draco, I already have someone I like. And for the record, she's a girl."
"...?"
This time, it was Draco's turn to look puzzled.
After a brief mental recalibration, Draco realized that Neville had misunderstood. His face darkened.
Summoning all his self-control and impeccable manners, Draco suppressed the urge to curse.
His lips twitched, and he finally managed to squeeze out a single word.
"Get lost!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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