The evening dusk hid behind thick clouds, casting a somber hue over the horizon where distant fires flickered like angry flames.
Without Luke by her side, Miss Hermione found herself alone in the library that afternoon, absorbed in her studies. When Madam Pince spotted her solitary figure, she paused in surprise.
"Why is the young witch here alone? Can't find what you're looking for?" Madam Pince asked with a hint of concern.
Setting aside her hefty volume of *Fantastic Beasts*, Hermione sighed softly, feeling a bit downcast. She realized that without Luke's company, her studies lacked the same spark.
"It's all because of Luke's business this afternoon!" Hermione muttered irritably to herself.
"Why the long face?"
A cheerful voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Luke!" Hermione exclaimed, turning quickly at the sound, her face lighting up with surprise. She rushed over and threw her arms around him.
"Good afternoon," Luke greeted with a smile, returning her hug warmly.
"Good afternoon!"
Luke greeted Hermione, lightly touching her curly hair as he replied softly, "Just a small matter, like a passing breeze."
Hermione looked up at him suspiciously. "Is your business done?"
Luke shrugged. "Capturing a Death Eater on the run wasn't much of a challenge."
His thoughts were already focused on another matter—the impending demise of Lockhart. Checking if there was a notion of 'purity' in this world was next on his agenda. As for Lockhart, his fate was inconsequential. No one, including Dumbledore or Luke himself, would mourn the disappearance of a Dark Arts Defense professor. Such roles were temporary and expendable.
"Come on, dear Miss Granger, it's time for dinner," Luke said, bending down and offering his hand to Hermione with a soft chuckle.
Hermione nodded happily and placed her hand lightly in his.
As they walked away, Hermione noticed some charred sawdust on Luke's shoulder. She reached out instinctively to brush it off, saying, "Let's go!"
Luke returned a thick book to its shelf with a wave of his wand and politely bid farewell to Mrs. Pince as they left.
"See you tomorrow, the little couple from Slytherin and Gryffindor," Mrs. Pince called after them, smiling warmly.
Inside their shared hut, now their dedicated dormitory, Hermione asked curiously, "Would you like to learn Divination with me?"
Luke, in his turtleneck sweater, sipped his coffee thoughtfully as he looked at Hermione holding a book on Constellation Divination. He was taken aback by her sudden interest.
"What's with that expression?" Hermione teased, pinching his cheek lightly.
Luke chuckled. "Of course you can learn Divination."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You're okay with that?"
Luke nodded. "It's just that I didn't think you were interested in Divination."
He knew Hermione had initially shown little enthusiasm for such mystical subjects, but he was open to supporting her newfound curiosity.
"Why do you want to study now?"
"I...I just want to catch up with you..."
Hermione hesitated before speaking.
"Then have you already caught up long ago?" Luke asked, wrapping his arms around himself, causing Hermione to clench her teeth in frustration.
"I mean in knowledge! You've been at it since the start of the school year, so you must know how far you've come," Hermione said weakly.
Having studied with Luke since the beginning, Hermione knew he excelled in potions and herbal medicine. He'd even delved into subjects like divination, magical zoology, astronomy, and alchemy with impressive depth. Perhaps Luke was a genius in all areas except History of Magic. But where did that leave Hermione?
"I haven't quite mastered Alchemy yet."
"Don't put so much pressure on yourself," Luke quickly comforted Hermione, seeing her crestfallen expression. "Even if I learn more, ultimately, it's for you, right?"
"Since you put it that way, of course I'll teach you," Hermione replied.
With that, Luke extinguished the fire and the lights with a flick of his wand.
"So, shall we start studying now?" Hermione exclaimed as Luke scooped her up in a princess-like hug, carrying her to the moonlit bedside.
"Aren't we supposed to be studying?" Hermione said softly, feeling a bit guilty.
"Yes, of course. We'll study," Luke assured her.
He gently placed Hermione under the moonlight, then pointed his wand at the dark ceiling.
"Behold, the starry sky," Luke said, casting a spell that illuminated the room with constellations of azure light.
He lay down beside Hermione.
"Now, I'll teach you about horoscope divination."
"Um," Hermione murmured, staring into the twinkling constellations reflected in her brown eyes.
"These constellations... they're beautiful," she whispered.
"Is this a spell of your own creation?" Hermione asked softly.
"Well, I designed it to teach you how to create your own," Luke chuckled.
"And Sagittarius, what does their constellation signify..."
The next morning, Hermione rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned.
"I saw too many stars last night. My eyes can't handle it," she mumbled.
"Maybe we should take the lesson outside, in the clouds," Luke suggested.
"I agree!" Hermione nodded eagerly.
After changing, they headed to Hogwarts' auditorium for breakfast.
"Oh, by the way, I need to find Lockhart for something," Luke mentioned suddenly after they finished eating.
"Alright," Hermione replied.
In the Defense Against the Dark Arts office... knock knock!
"Come in! I always welcome an admirer," Lockhart's confident voice rang out.
Without hesitation, Luke pushed open the door and spoke first.
"Professor Lockhart, do you want to be famous?"
.....
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