The library was so quiet that every little movement seemed louder than it should have been. Eira had just recovered from the shock of hearing a throat being cleared behind her. Her heart was still racing when she spun around, only to find herself face-to-face with none other than Ginny Weasley.
Eira let out a long sigh and whispered, "Damn girl, you scared me."
Ginny smirked and leaned closer so her words could not travel far. "What is the great matriarch of the White family doing here, sneaking on others? This is quite the scene. I never imagined you as the type to spy."
Eira rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "I am not sneaking. I was just… observing. Nothing more." Her eyes darted back to the table by the window, where Hermione was still exchanging parchment with the Ravenclaw boy.
Ginny followed her gaze, then grinned knowingly. "Oh, I see. So you have noticed it too. Since when have you been keeping an eye on Hermione and that boy?"
"I was only curious," Eira replied softly. "But tell me, Ginny, since when did Hermione become close to him? This is news to me."
Ginny's expression softened with amusement. "It has been a couple of weeks now. At first it was so subtle that nobody really paid attention. You know Hermione, always running to the library whenever she gets the chance. Before, it was quite ordinary. Everyone in Gryffindor knows that if you cannot find Hermione, then she is either in class or buried in the library. That has always been her habit. But lately she has been different. She makes excuses to run here more often than usual, and not just to read. She has also changed a little. Have you noticed?"
Eira tilted her head. "Changed how?"
"Well," Ginny whispered with a grin, "she is actually trying. On her hair, for example. She never cared much before. It was always bushy and wild, like it had a mind of its own. Lately she has been experimenting, trying to smooth it down, adding ribbons or clips. And her clothes too. She is still Hermione, so nothing extravagant, but I swear she pays more attention now. The other girls noticed it too, Lavender and Parvati especially. They could not help but gossip, and of course I joined in. We decided to follow her one day to see what she was up to. That was how we figured it out. She was meeting that boy, the Ravenclaw who transferred this year."
Eira nodded knowingly. "Yes. His name is Isaac. He came from Ilvermorny in the United States. I remember him being introduced at the start of the school year, and I even had a brief encounter with him outside the castle where we spoke for a moment."
Ginny chuckled. "Oh, believe me, I know his name. Every girl in the common room knows his name. He is very popular. Some of them even gave him a nickname."
Eira raised an eyebrow. "A nickname? What sort of nickname?"
Ginny covered her mouth to hide a giggle. "They call him Puppy. Because of his handsome face and the way he looks so innocent all the time. You know the kind of look that makes you want to pat him on the head. The girls just melt when he smiles."
Eira glanced back at Isaac, who was passing another parchment across the table to Hermione. The boy's gentle smile spread across his features as Hermione read whatever he had written. Eira could not hold back a laugh. "Well, you see, Ginny, it seems Hermione's type is the submissive sort. She likes her boys soft and pliant."
Ginny stifled a snort, then burst into muffled giggles, slapping a hand over her mouth. Eira quickly followed, clamping her own hand across Ginny's lips to stop her from making more noise. They both froze, glancing toward Madam Pince at the far desk. Luckily, the librarian was too engrossed in her own paperwork to notice.
Once the moment passed, Ginny whispered against Eira's palm, "Do not strangle me. I cannot help it, that was too funny."
Eira slowly withdrew her hand and shook her head with a grin. "Control yourself. This is a library."
Ginny tried to calm down but her shoulders kept shaking as she whispered, "Can you imagine, Hermione and Puppy? I almost want to bark whenever I see him now."
Eira pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. "Please do not start barking in the library. We will both be banned."
But Ginny only grinned wider, eyes gleaming with mischief. "No, no—picture this. Hermione marching down the corridor, books stacked in one hand, and in the other… a little leash. And at the end of it, he's trotting behind her, ears flopping, carrying her quill case in his mouth like the most obedient little puppy."
The image hit Eira all at once, and she clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a laugh. Ginny leaned closer, her whisper turning conspiratorial. "I'm telling you, one of these days we'll walk into class and he'll be sitting by her desk, waiting for a treat."
That was too much—Eira let out a sharp snort before she could stop herself, earning a scandalized look from Madam Pince across the room. Ginny nearly fell behind because of too much laughter, while trying to laugh silently.
For a while, the two of them kept their eyes on the pair by the window. Hermione's lips curved into a faint smile each time Isaac slid another note her way. She would scribble a reply in quick strokes before nudging the parchment back, biting her lip as though trying to hide her amusement.
Eira whispered, "I never imagined I would see Hermione acting like this. She is practically glowing."
Ginny leaned on the shelf beside her, still whispering. "Oh, you should hear her when she talks about him. She goes on and on about how knowledgeable he is. She says he is smarter than most fifth-years, even though he is only in his fifth year himself. She praises how much he reads, how much he knows about magical theory, and sometimes even compares him to the professors. Honestly, it gets exhausting to hear. But at the same time, it is clear she admires him. Maybe even more than that."
Eira arched a brow. "Do you think she likes him?"
Ginny grinned. "Of course she does. You can see it written all over her face. And if you ask me, he likes her too. Look at the way he stares at her when she is writing. That is not just friendship."