Hermione nodded her head thoughtfully. "Perhaps he's just here with the other ghosts? Perhaps- I'll ask, I'll ask Nick and- well, maybe just Nick, but maybe there's a reason it's now? Perhaps he's here to do something and he doesn't know yet. Maybe the next time you see him he'll have realised what he's doing here-" Hermione gushed, thinking out loud.
Both of them had averted their gazes, both of them blushing. Hermione didn't know what to do with praise from her peers, and certainly not from someone like Ernie, who was just as smart as she was. "Don't be silly," she smiled back. "It's nothing. I just- I thought you'd want your work and- and none of this is the craziest thing I've ever heard so- but- well, if you ever need anything- you know, just anything, then you can let me know and, I'll just- whatever it is-" she stammered, nudging Ernie gently with her arm and realising how close they were now sitting.