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"Wai... Parva... wait!" Hermione struggled to catch her breath, scrambling to follow. Her mind seemed to be making up for lost time as a million thoughts swept through it.

_Is this because of me? Because I'm... but no, if she has one... _A light clicked on: She didn't feel mine. She think's I'm judging her. Oh... sod!

Parvati seemed to have headed back to the common room, based on the startled looks on the few students outside the owlery, and while she wanted to catch her, she followed at a more reasonable pace. No sense adding fuel to the fire. And she needed to think.

She still got a few surprised looks when she managed to not-quite burst into the common room and hurry up the stairs to her dormitory. Padme intercepted her on the way, face set in anger.

"What did you do."

It wasn't a question but Hermione tried to explain anyway, "I... we... she..." Hermione rubbed her eyes, her words failing her, maybe because she had no idea what to say. This whole situation was unprecedented.

"She doesn't need your judgement. Give her some space. And don't you dare breath a word about-"

Hermione, opting for a visual demonstration, pointed to her crotch and pushed her hips forward so that the remnants of her erection bulged through her skirt. Padme's eyebrows raised.

"Oh. Then...?"

Hermione grabbed her by the shoulders, "It's a misunderstanding. I need to talk to her."

Padme seemed just as lost for words as she'd been a moment before but stepped aside. Hermione hurried up the stairs.

Parvati was curled into a ball on her bed and didn’t look up when Hermione entered the room. She took a moment to compose herself, trying to calm herself down as she approached the bed.

“Parvati?”

She flinched but didn’t move as Hermione gently sat on the bed next to her.

“S-sorry.” Her voice quavered, still curled away from her, “I-I didn’t mean t-to-“

“Parvati-“

“P-please d-don’t t-tell any-“

“Parvati!” Hermione laid a hand on her shoulder, slightly hurt as her friend flinched, “Do you really think I’d do anything to hurt you?”

The Indian witch turned, eyes tear-stained but faintly hopeful.

Wow, this is a lot more **** than I expected to be today. Hermione cleared her throat, fighting her own urge to cry, “I was... a little surprised when I felt your...” Parvati looked down and Hermione rushed forward, “but you ran off so fast and I... _GOD _this is ridiculous! I like you.” Parvati perked up and Hermione stammered, “I-I mean, I am like you.”

She gestured helplessly at her skirt, which thankfully lay flat in the midst of this much emotion. Fortunately, after a moment she saw it click in Parvati’s eyes.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh...”

“And I... I _do _like you.

“Oh?”

“I just wasn’t really sure how to- God, I’m so sorry for jumping you-“

“No! No, thank you! I’m-“ Parvati wiped her eyes, clearing her throat as she sat up, “I’m glad you did.”

They sat in silence for a long moment before Hermione snorted and they both burst out laughing.

“I am... so... stupid!” Parvati cackled, rolling back on the bed.

“We _both _are.” Hermione giggled, bracing herself against the bed post.

Eventually they sobered, though bouts of giddiness continued to accost them for some time after. It felt good to laugh, especially after the week Hermione had had.

“So...” Hermione glanced over at Parvati, who eyed her from the head of the bed, “...would you like to continue where we left off?”

Her eyebrows raised, now? After all that? Shouldn’t we talk about our feelings or relationship boundaries or- Oh. Hermione realized, too late, that her brain had once again been relegated to spectator as her body crawled up the bed with a boldness she couldn’t believe, hungrily meeting Parvati’s smiling lips.