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"Focus!" Hermione snapped. She couldn't help being frustrated with herself for not being able to cast the spell as easily as she had expected. She was used to magic being hard work, but also to getting almost instantaneous results. She knew that her knowledge of magic theory played a big part in all of this, but this was unknown to her. This was new - to her.
The old magic was something that Hermione had always wanted to study, something that she had thought she would love with all of her heart, but it had transpired that she wasn't a natural at using spells that didn’t require a wand or words. It was frustrating, especially when she knew that Blaise excelled in the subject. She knew that he was getting cocky about it too, but she was doing her very best to ignore that. She wasn't going to allow him to see that she was struggling either, so even though she knew that the smartest thing to do would be to ask her ex-roommate for help in with her studies, her pride was holding her back.
It didn't help that she didn't have anyone that she could talk to about this. It didn't help that she didn't have Harry or Ron there by her side. She hadn't even been able to tell them about the wizarding college that she had been accepted into when she had first come here over a year ago. Everything was secretive because the job that she was training for at the end of it was meant to be shrouded in mystery.
Hermione loved the course that she was on. It was exactly the sort of challenge that she had wanted it to be, especially after the 'eighth' year at Hogwarts that she had attended which hadn't challenged her at all - but had given her a piece of parchment which allowed her to tell people that she had in fact finished school, the same piece of parchment which had allowed her to be enrolled in this college.
She had another two years of education to get through before the Ministry would even consider hiring her as an Unspeakable. Those who had been chosen to attend this course had been warned that not everyone who had been selected would be hired at the end, that not even everyone who managed to complete the course would be hired - and those who were unsuccessful would have their memories altered which was something that Hermione was trying to avoid. As it was, she still hated that she had done that to her parents in the first place.
"Alright there, Granger?" Blaise's voice floated over to her from across the room where he had already managed to achieve the task of turning the boiling water to ice.
Hermione wanted to throw her own water at him but she didn't dare. There was always something about his tone that made her want to react violently. She could never quite put her finger on what it was or why he frustrated her so much.
They'd never really associated with each other much during their Hogwarts days, but since coming to the college they'd practically been forced together. On their first day, there had been a total cock-up with dorm assignments and they ended up not only having to share a room but sharing a bed. Blaise wouldn't even sleep on the floor like a true gentleman which was what had irked Hermione most. Their rooming situation had taken a couple of days to solve, but they'd ended up as neighbours and share classes.
"Yeah. Fine." She told him, not daring to look at him and what she was sure was a smug expression on his face. It was more than a little frustrating that he was able to succeed in a class she wanted to love.
"Mhm. You look it." Blaise said with a laugh. His voice was closer now and Hermione was all too aware that he had crossed the room. If he wanted to gloat then she really needed him to know that she wasn't in the mood for it. Not today.
"What do you want, Zabini?" She asked as she slowly made herself look up at him. The lopsided smirk that she had expected to be fixed in place on his lips was, however, missing, something which only confused her.
"To help." He said with a small shrug as he moved to sit down next to her. "Give me your hands."
"Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously. It wasn't in her nature to trust him - it wasn't really in her nature to trust anyone but that was because of being bullied for most of her childhood.
"Because I want to hold them and kiss you." Blaise's voice was dripping with sarcasm before he rolled his eyes at her. "Just give 'em here."
Hermione eventually did as he asked and watched as he guided her hands over the centre of the bowl.
"Close your eyes." He instructed. "Now just feel. Feel the heat rising from the steam and feel the energy that's built up inside your chest. When you think you've got that, I want you to try to imagine that energy travelling up over your shoulders, down your arms and into your fingers. That energy is going to cool this water."
Hermione tried to do as she was told. She didn't want to admit that it helped that he was still holding her hands in place, that while he was touching her she couldn't definitely feel the energy in her chest.
"Open your eyes." He said after a few moments.
"It's nice!" Hermione practically yelped as she looked down at the bowl. She hadn't expected his methods to actually work. "I - thank you."
"Call it your birthday present." He said with a wink before he moved back over to his own area.
Hermione blinked rapidly. How had he known that it was her birthday? She hadn't told anyone about her birthday, let alone anyone that would have told him.