Well actually the mist was inside of a Ruby Ball, one of the three that Lavender and Parvati had borrowed from Professor Trelawny. It was like a Crystal Ball only instead of forming shapes to predict the future it formed words to predict your romantic future.
It was a load of rubbish.
Why was she wasting a perfectly good afternoon on possibly the most inaccurate form of Divination, so far she hadn't seen the mist form a single letter let alone an entire word.
She didn't even know what she was supposed to be looking for. Hermione sneaked a look at Parvati and Lavender they were both hunched over there Ruby Ball's and their quills - which Hermione had enchanted to write down the words the mist formed - were zooming back and forth across their parchment. Parvati's had almost filled three feet and Lavender's was a blur of white.
Hermione looked back down at her own enchanted quill it was yet to move an inch. She sighed in frustration.
* * *
Earlier that day Lavender and Parvati had approached her and asked if they could have a word. Parvati had done all the talking in that gushy voice she always used when she wanted something.
"Hermione, Lavender and I just went to see Professor Trelawny and she leant us three Ruby Ball's. You know there just like Crystal Ball's only there mist forms words that will predict your romantic future, not to far into the future though, unless romance will have a big impact on you in the next few years."
Hermione had let her go on, she had hardly seen why she was being told all this Parvati and Lavender knew she hated Divination.
"But you see-"
Ah so here was the explanation.
"You need three people for the Ruby Triangle to work."
"The what?"
"Honestly Hermione, the Ruby Triangle is the triangle you draw on the ground with that chalk spell Professor Flitwick showed us."
"The Avados spell?"
"Yes and for the Ruby Balls to work properly you need at least one person in each corner of the triangle. That's why we were wondering if you could help us out."
* * *
As Hermione stared at the balls scarlet mist she reminded herself that next time Parvati and Lavender asked her to help she would firmly refuse even if they pestered her to say yes like they had today.
Hermione tried to relax, Lavender had said the more you relaxed the easier it would be see words form. She forced herself to take a deep breath and tried to concentrate, it was rather peaceful sitting in the quiet dormitory. Even so the Ruby Ball still seemed to hold nothing but what could pass for Lavender's hairspray. Hermione was contemplating whether to give up when the mist she was staring at began to swirl and separate. Despite herself Hermione couldn't help but feel a touch excited. Her quill began to quiver and she leant forward towards the Ruby Ball her nose inches from its glass exterior. Sitting inside the extravagant glass dome were two words, Hermione sat ridged, glued to the spot, she hadn't just seen that. Then before she could clap a hand across her mouth, she issued a loud gasp.
Parvati and Lavender's heads snapped up and with a sinking feeling Hermione saw their eyes dart to the parchment at her feet. Without even thinking Hermione grabbed her wand and with a swish removed the still wet ink from it.
Parvati and Lavender gave her swift searching looks then with identical shrugs returned to gazing at their Ruby Ball's.
Hermione stared down at the now clean parchment. No one looking at it would be able to make out the faintest trace of ink but in Hermione's eyes the words were as clear as they had been when they were inside the Ruby Ball. Two simple words that meant so much.
Hermione Weasley.