() Breakfast Talk
"..."
"Ah, mmm—"
Early the next morning, Hermione looked listless over breakfast. She yawned several times in a row and even seemed to eat without much interest.
It was true that she wasn't rushing off as soon as she finished, unlike usual, since she didn't have a class first thing and didn't need to hurry to the classroom. But from her expression and demeanor, it was clear she hadn't slept well last night.
"??"
-
(゜-゜)つ
Naturally, that made Annie—who had gone to bed unusually early last night and was full of energy this morning—look over at her in surprise several times.
After watching her for a while, Annie went back to eating her breakfast. Then she thought it over and couldn't help asking, somewhat curiously:
"What's wrong?"
"Wasn't it fun going out to duel last night?"
(￣~￣)嚼!
Annie knew what had happened last night. Hermione had left at around ten thirty, but Annie didn't know when she'd come back. She'd already been asleep by then.
Then, when one of the girls in her dormitory shook her awake the next morning, she saw Hermione still struggling to get out of bed. Judging by the looks of it, she must have returned very late.
Annie didn't need to guess what had happened next: Hermione surely hadn't managed to talk Ron and Harry out of it, and had ended up going along with those two idiots to play their boring dueling game.
"How do I put it..."
Hermione stirred the milk and cereal in her bowl. After hesitating for a moment, she glanced at the two equally exhausted boys nearby, then thought it over and quietly told Annie, sounding rather dispirited:
"They didn't fight. Those two got tricked!"
"Malfoy never intended to duel them. He secretly told Filch that