"Hehe, that's just Hermione. She's curious about everything."
Ariana leaned over and whispered into Tom's ear:
"Honestly, compared to Gryffindor, she'd fit way better in Ravenclaw. But she really is a good friend. This morning she even spent extra time helping me make up last Monday's lesson. The way she explained everything—so serious and proper—she was like a tiny little grown-up."
"Ariana! I can hear you!"
Hermione's embarrassed and annoyed voice came from beside them.
"But I'm telling the truth~"
Ariana blinked innocently and added:
"And I heard Lavender complaining about you to Parvati. She said you're 'basically a mini-McGonagall.'
Oh, by the way—when they say McGonagall, they do mean Professor McGonagall, right?"
"Hmph. Those girls only know how to gossip behind someone's back."
Hermione pouted, trying hard to look as if she didn't care:
"If they've got that much time for badmouthing people, I could have already memorized several new facts!"
But despite what she said, her slightly reddened eyes made it obvious she was nowhere near as calm as she pretended.
Seeing this, Ariana—who had started the whole mess—shot Tom an apologetic look mixed with a silent plea for help. Even though she'd only spent one night with her three roommates, she had already figured out their personalities pretty well.
Parvati and Lavender were easy enough—different styles, but both outgoing and approachable.
Hermione, though… Hermione was stubborn, sensitive, proud yet insecure, prickly like a little hedgehog always on guard. She reminded Ariana painfully of who she herself used to be. That was exactly why she approached Hermione first—because she genuinely wanted to be her friend.
She hadn't meant to stir trouble just now; she only hoped Hermione would reflect a little, maybe open up, and learn to face others' opinions without collapsing.
Clearly, that plan had failed—and as the one who caused the problem, Ariana was the last person who could comfort Hermione right now.
Sigh…
Noticing Ariana's troubled look, Tom let out a soft sigh. Then he reached out, grabbed Hermione's hand, hesitated briefly… and gently placed it on his soft little paw.
Head pats were his limit.
But letting her squish his paw pads?
…Well, he could consider that an act of charity.
"?"
Hermione looked up, tears clinging to her lashes—only to meet Tom's warm smile.
Sunlight streamed through the Great Hall's tall windows, falling onto Tom's blue fur and giving him a soft, almost holy glow.
[Alright now, don't cry.]
"I—I wasn't crying!"
Hermione hurriedly wiped her eyes, trying hard to sound composed—even though she didn't stop kneading Tom's paw pads.
Seeing Hermione calm down at last, Ariana exhaled in relief and gave Tom a grateful look. She made a mental note to raid her brother's stash later. Surely she could find something useful for Tom.
Big brother will forgive me… probably? (￣︶￣)
Just then, a bright, cheerful voice called out:
"Ah! Tom, there you are!"
Tom looked up. It was Hannah.
Hermione gave his paw pads a reluctant squeeze before quickly pulling her hand away and pretending nothing had happened.
Hannah jogged over and plopped down beside Tom—completely ignoring the fact that this was Gryffindor's table.
"What are you doing over here? I've been looking for you at our table forever. Neville finally told me you were with the Gryffindors.
Oh—what did Professor Snape keep you back for? He didn't give you a hard time, did he?"
[Of course not!]
Tom puffed out his chest proudly, grabbed a cup of milk, and chugged it:
[I'm a potions genius. Snape appreciates my talent so much that he told me I never have to write another Potions assignment again.]
"No homework? I'm so jealous!"
Hannah's eyes sparkled. For young wizards, ten-inch essays were scarier than Voldemort.
But then she froze—as if something suddenly clicked.
"Wait—Tom! Cats can't drink milk! They'll get diarrhea!"
"?"
Tom froze mid-movement and slowly lowered his gaze to the empty cup.
Right on cue, his stomach gave a familiar, ominous churn.
"Hehe, I did my homework this time!"
Hannah proudly held up her fingers and recited:
"Ever since what happened on the train, I memorized all the foods cats can't eat! You can't drink milk, can't eat onions, can't eat raw dough, raw meat, chocolate, grapes—"
[Stop, stop, stop!]
Tom cut her off before she listed half the Great Hall menu and ruined his appetite.
[Other cats can't drink milk because they're lactose intolerant. But I'm immune!]
And the moment he wrote that sentence, the churning in his stomach disappeared instantly.
Tom let out a breath of relief.
Great—no explosive emergencies in front of half of Hogwarts.
[Besides, I'm not an ordinary cat. My diet is different! Don't forget—I'm a magic-using cat~]
Truthfully, Tom only vaguely remembered that certain foods were bad for cats and dogs. He didn't know the full list.
But that didn't matter.
If he didn't know something was poisonous, then it wasn't poisonous—for him.
Such was the power of a comedy-coded character.
"I see…"
Hannah lowered her head, a bit disappointed. She had really wanted to show off her week's worth of research.
"Hi there~"
Ariana leaned closer to Hannah:
"I'm Ariana, and this is Hermione. Nice to meet you! Are you Tom's friend too? I am! He's one of the few friends I have.
Oh—can I be your friend as well?"
Hannah's head snapped up.
The moment Ariana said she had "very few friends," Hannah's heart melted.
How could such a cute girl have so few friends? Unacceptable!
And as a loyal Hufflepuff, nothing made her happier than making new friends.
So she immediately reached out her hand:
"I'm Hannah Abbott. Nice to meet you both—I'd love to be your friend."
"Hehe, then we're officially friends starting now!
But… let's skip the handshake."
Ariana's bright smile dimmed slightly. She still couldn't touch any living creature except Tom.
But the sadness only lasted a moment. Compared to what she endured in the past, this was nothing.
With Ariana acting as the perfect social glue, the three girls—plus one cat—quickly grew familiar with each other. Even Hermione let go of her pride and showed a bit of the youthful energy someone her age should have.
But just as the group's conversation was hitting its peak, two figures approached.
"Uh… sorry to interrupt?"
Harry stood awkwardly beside the table, Ron at his side wearing an expression that screamed I'm doomed.
They had originally come to ask Hermione for the afternoon's Potions homework.
Judging by the scene in front of them…
Yeah, they definitely picked the wrong moment.