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Hermione couldn’t focus on the words in her book. They would blur or mesh together when her eyes swept over the pages; the loss of concentration was infuriating.
And she had the young man on the other end of the couch were her legs were resting. He was drawing slow circles around her calves, and he knew she was ticklish. The soft touches were distracting her from doing anything else but give him attention.
It was why he was doing it after all.
“Cormac,” Hermione said. “I said that you could sit in here with me while I read. Please tell me that it wasn’t a mistake.”
“When would being in my presence be a mistake?” he asked, wiggling his brows with a cocky, sly grin on his face.
Hermione rolled her eyes. “Right now sounds like a good time for it to be a mistake,” she retorted. Slammed her book shut, she set it down on the table beside the couch and folded her arms.
“Stop it this instant,” she ordered.
Cormac shook his head. “No can do, Granger,” he said. “I want to touch you, and if it’s the only way to do it without you hexing me, then I’m going to do it.”
Hermione raised a finger. “Don’t tempt me.”
He grinned at her once more. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Hermione huffed, reaching for her book again, but she retracted her hand with a sigh. Everything began when she bumped into him after a Quidditch match. She had wanted to get away from the other Gryffindors celebrating their victory over Ravenclaw when it happened.
He was smelly, dirty, and clearly in a mood from what Hermione guessed could be rejection from a young witch somewhere. She was going to comment on his appearance, but she couldn’t find her voice. They were only staring at one another from opposite ends of the corridors.
It was something in his blue eyes that made Hermione’s breath hitched, and when his lips parted to speak, other students started moving about in the corridor. Hermione took that chance to get away from the scene before something happened she would regret.
Though it wasn’t over; she should have known it wasn’t by that look he’d given her. It was in the library, close to the curfew when he found her.
“Believe in love at first sight, Granger?” he asked, hovering above her with a hand perched on the bookshelf above her.
Hermione snorted and glared at him. “Hardly,” she said. “And even if that were possible, it wouldn’t be with you.”
Cormac placed a hand on his chest. “You wound me, but maybe I could change your mind.”
Her brow raised in a curious manner. She knew that whatever was going to come out of his mouth wouldn’t be good.
“How, pray tell, would you change my mind?”
A large grin stretched on Cormac’s face. “You’re going to see me every day until the end of term. Of course you couldn’t miss me regardless, but we’re going to be spending close time together.” Cormac leaned against her for emphasis.
Hermione got defensive and prepared to push back. “What makes you think I would allow you to be that close to me?”
“Aren’t you doing it now?” he asked cheekily.
“That’s because we’re in a public setting.”
“Come on, Granger, I’m not that bad. You’ll see.”
“I don’t think I want to.”
“Too bad,” Cormac said with a chuckle. “You don’t have a choice.”
And he had been true to his word. Cormac would sit next to her in classes when he could. He’d place her legs in his lap in the common room. He’d find a spot close to her in the Great Hall for meals. In the beginning, she couldn’t get Harry and Ron off her case, much less Ginny; and his constant presence was a nuisance.
After two weeks Hermione had gotten used to him being right there next to her. His scent filled her nostrils because of the proximity over the various days. At some point he would give her foot massages or rub her legs.
It’s how he found out she was ticklish and would send a flock of birds on him in a quick second if he ever tickled her purposely again.
He would stare at her as if studying a newfound discovery, and Hermione couldn’t pinpoint his reasons behind his actions. It couldn’t be a simple fancy, and if she ever found out he was looking for a shag, she’d hex him.
In two months’ time Hermione and Cormac had gotten extremely close to the point that he could rub her back when she was stressed over something. It was truly a sight to see by the others. He would say something unintelligent, and Hermione would scold him or retort in a heartbeat.
Another two months passed. While they were in the common room, Cormac stared at her, and their eyes met. They stayed that way for a while before Hermione set her book down. Cormac was daring that day because he brought her closer to him and kissed her.
After all the time she had to get used to Cormac’s presence, she didn’t turn away. She could get that the kiss was his intention the entire time, but now that she was comfortable being around him, Hermione accepted it.
That didn’t mean she wouldn’t hex him if he mentioned it later on.