Twinge of Jealousy
The autumn breeze rustled the trees outside the castle, leaves swirling in brilliant shades of gold and red. Hogwarts had always been beautiful this time of year, but Hermione barely noticed as she made her way through the corridors, her thoughts still a tangled mess of emotions. Her conversation with Draco lingered in her mind like a shadow she couldn’t shake. She knew she had to move on, to stop herself from becoming too attached to Lucian. But every step closer to the portrait seemed to draw her deeper into something she couldn’t control.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
“Hermione, wait up!”
She turned to see Professor Ethan Fairclough, the new Charms professor, jogging toward her with a friendly smile. Ethan had only started teaching at Hogwarts that term, but already, he had gained a reputation for his charm and wit. With warm brown eyes and an easy demeanor, he was the kind of person who instantly put others at ease.
“Hey, Ethan,” Hermione greeted him with a smile, grateful for the distraction.
“Going to the library again?” he teased lightly, falling into step beside her. “I swear, you spend more time there than in your own quarters.”
She chuckled softly. “Old habits die hard, I suppose.”
“Well, if you’re not too busy researching obscure spells or whatever it is you brilliant types do, would you like to grab a drink at the Three Broomsticks later? Some of the staff are getting together, and I thought it’d be nice to socialize outside of lesson plans for once.”
Hermione hesitated. She hadn’t been out with her colleagues since she’d started teaching, preferring the solace of her quiet evenings and long conversations with Lucian’s portrait. But perhaps that was the problem. Maybe it was time to break the routine, to remind herself that there were real people—living people—around her.
“That sounds nice,” she replied after a moment. “I could use the break.”
Ethan grinned, clearly pleased. “Great! I’ll meet you after your last class.”
As they parted ways, Hermione couldn’t help but feel a small flicker of anticipation. It had been so long since she had thought about anyone in that way. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, another followed—Lucian.
Her footsteps slowed as she neared the corridor where his portrait hung, her heart suddenly heavy with an unspoken guilt. She had grown so accustomed to their late-night conversations, to the way his sharp mind and dry humor challenged her, that she hadn’t realized just how much she had come to depend on them.
Lucian was waiting, his eyes sharp and focused, as if he had sensed her approach. There was an unmistakable tension in the way he sat in his portrait, his gaze following her closely as she came to stand before him.
“Granger,” he drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “you look… flushed. Had an exciting day, I take it?”
Hermione arched an eyebrow at him, sensing the edge in his voice. “Nothing too exciting,” she replied, trying to keep her tone light. “Just the usual teaching.”
“Hmm,” Lucian hummed, his eyes narrowing slightly. “And perhaps some extracurricular socializing, too? With the new Charms professor, no less. I heard him invite you for drinks.”
Hermione blinked, surprised. “You heard that? How—”
Lucian gave her a knowing smirk. “You’d be amazed what portraits can overhear. The walls at Hogwarts have ears, you know.”
She frowned, not entirely sure how to respond. There was something different in his demeanor today, a sharpness that hadn’t been there before. “It’s just a drink with colleagues,” she said, brushing off the comment. “It’s nothing serious.”
“Just a drink?” Lucian’s voice dripped with amusement, but there was an unmistakable bite beneath the surface. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Nothing serious, yet enough to pull you away from your precious research and late-night visits?”
Hermione stared at him, taken aback. “Lucian, it’s not like that,” she said firmly, but the accusation in his tone made her pulse quicken.
“Isn’t it?” he shot back, his smirk fading into something darker. “Perhaps it’s time you found someone more… tangible, then. A real, living person to pass the time with, rather than speaking to the dead.”
There it was. The harsh reality she had been trying to avoid, spoken out loud in the coldest possible way. His words stung more than they should have, and before she could stop herself, Hermione’s temper flared.
“Why are you acting like this?” she demanded, her voice sharper than intended. “I told you, it’s just a drink. It has nothing to do with you.”
Lucian’s eyes flashed with something dangerous, his expression tightening. “Everything you do has something to do with me,” he said, his voice low and almost a growl. “You’ve been coming to me for weeks, Granger. You can’t pretend this is nothing.”
Hermione felt her heart hammering in her chest, anger and confusion swirling together in a storm she couldn’t control. “You’re being ridiculous,” she snapped. “You’re a portrait, Lucian. I can’t—this isn’t real.”
His jaw clenched, and for a moment, his gaze softened—just for a fraction of a second. But then the mask of sarcasm slid back into place, hiding whatever emotion had flickered behind his eyes. “Perhaps you’re right,” he said quietly, his voice colder than before. “It’s not real, is it? It never could be.”
The words hung between them like a bitter truth, and for the first time since their conversations had begun, Hermione felt a crack in the bond they had built. She had wanted to believe that their connection was something deeper, something that transcended the boundaries of life and death. But now, standing there in the shadow of his anger, she was forced to confront the impossibility of it all.
She took a step back, her breath catching in her throat. “I… I need to go,” she said softly, turning away from the portrait before he could see the hurt in her eyes.
As she walked away, she felt his gaze lingering on her, a heavy weight that refused to lift. And though she tried to focus on her plans with Ethan, a part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that she had just crossed a line with Lucian that couldn’t easily be undone.
The growing tension, the unspoken desires, and now, the bitter realization that their bond was both impossible and undeniable—it all swirled inside her, leaving her torn between two worlds.
And as she left the corridor, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had already lost a piece of herself to a man who no longer existed.