069. Thunder
Completed: 1/100
Date: 090705
Title: In Sympathy (he'd like to believe)
Rating/Warnings: M for Language.
Word Count: 1 171
Summary: It's raining, and the only two left awake are Draco and Hermione
Era: 6th year (ignoring all plot developments)
Disclaimer: Draco Malfoy & Hermione Granger do not belong to me, neither does the wonderful castle the frolick in at night. But you can always wish they didn't belong to JK Rowling.
A/N: Okay, so I picked up the 100 themes challenge and I decided to do it on DHr (as if this isn't the most awesome pairing ever) Very quick and rushed with only two quick betas by Rainie and Angie. (:
Will probably be edited again later, but please enjoy~
The stars would be shimmering in sympathy with him, he'd like to believe, if he could see them. But no, they were hiding fruitlessly behind clouds, hiding their true emotions to the world from those who cared.
He was like that sometimes. Maybe. But, he liked to think, it was something healthy, hiding the truer parts of yourself from everyone.
No one to think about you, no one to care if you just disappeared.
Still. It'd be nice to, maybe.
He sighed, and leaned forwards out the window, rain drenching him with its physical sympathy. A shock flash across the rainclouds, making everything glow pure white along with his hair, before retreating back into darkness.
He sank to the floor slowly, turning away and cradling his ears as thunder shook the castle.
---
She dug under the covers, covering her head with her pillow and shutting her eyes as a loud crack filtered through. She still jolted slightly as it occurred, and opened her eyes again, her eyes sagging in their sockets.
Slowly, reaching for her coat and slippers, she slipped her wand in her pocket and crept out of the dormitory.
Anything to escape the false quiet and security of others around her.
---
He clutched his forearm, tendons and bones standing out as he grit his teeth, willing the memories away of other times where lightning had flit across the sky and thunder had been the music to his ears.
Eyes shut, the darkness brought forward other images of darkness, but lit with harsher fires of pain and 'joy'. He dug his fingernails in, but the sudden clap as thunder arrived caused him to slip, and a little trickle of blood to flow down.
"Fuck."
---
The structure of the castle; she could tell you it all. The tallest, the shortest, the one with the highest percentage of sandstone in its bricks, the one built the most recent, and most long ago, the ones with the best views of the lake, forest, villages, whatever. But she wouldn't tell you her most prized secret; the hardest one to access.
In her mind she could recite it perfectly (7th oldest, on the north-western side with the least amount of paintings [1 plain landscape of a mountain range during sunset], 5 floors with one abandoned classroom…) but after perfecting the lie, she wouldn't be able to tell you the truth if you confronted her about it.
Mindlessly, she traced the familiar route to the favourite place. Up countless steps and through doorways, up ladders and through trapdoors, up passages and through portals; she reached it.
---
He opened his eyes as some footsteps fell - a stranger had entered. Setting his voice low, he confronted it.
"Who's there?"
A wand tip flared. Wavering slightly, it reflected a familiar face.
"Malfoy?"
His pupils dilated in shock, not just in response to the light.
"Granger?"
There was a slight pause as each assessed their ruffled states; he in his baggy school uniform, crinkled and stained with centuries of dust and cobwebs while she was in her pajamas with only a coat thrown over roughly.
His lips twitched subconsciously into a smirk.
"Nice attire."
Her eyes narrowed as she pointed her lit wand at him.
"Shut up Malfoy. What are you doing here?"
He spread his hands cockily, shrugging.
"What, is it against the law to walk around my own school?"
"It is at night, after lights out."
"Then, Miss Prefect, what are you doing up? Don't use the excuse of checking up for any curfew-breakers; no one would come here."
"How are you sure of that?"
He levelled a gaze at her, meeting her trembling one confidently.
"I know."
"And how would you know that, Malfoy, do you come here that often to know the timetable of this place?"
He smiled slowly, almost enjoying it though he still sat, clutching his forearm. The sleeve resting over the scar; a thin protection. If only.
"Looks like you know it as well as I do."
She took a step back. Thunder stuck again and he winced, while she shook and dropped her wand. They both watched it roll away, its light meagre as it sought shelter in the maze of dusty furniture.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question."
"Are you?"
"What does it look like?"
"… It might."
"Are you going to answer?"
"Am I obliged to?"
"It's common courtesy to."
"Like you have any."
He laughed suddenly, and quickly smothered it, though his teeth flashed in the casted shadows. He covered his mouth, and his sleeve slipped down.
"Malfoy?"
She took a step forward, approaching him slowly. He watched her cautiously, not moving but watching; predator and prey. No; fighter and fighter.
"What?"
His arm twitched; the light fell differently. She stared at it, and startled forward to grab it, catching some reflection off of the moonlight.
The Mark was there, jet black with an almost ethereal sheen of disbelief. She simply stared at it, then at his face, suddenly almost gaunt and thinned.
"Malfoy?" she repeated.
He shook her hand off, standing and trying to back away, but only half leaning out the window.
"Malfoy?" she repeated again, softer with her hand still raised in query.
"Leave me the fuck alone Granger."
He shook as thunder sounded again, but she crouched still. She looked up at him, tears brimming.
"Why?"
"You don't understand, don't even fucking try." He turned away, dipping his head as the rain stuck it. He flinched as lightning and thunder cracked simultaneously, and felt a hand slowly grasp his shoulder.
"I'm trying, just talk to me."
He flicked off her hand, turning away.
"Don't."
"Draco…"
He turned suddenly, reflected raindrops sprinkling as he faced her.
"Don't fucking say my name like you understand me Granger, don't even try to understand what I have to go through while you live your fucking little oblivious life as a perfect prefect with no worries, no lies and no pain. Don't even try okay? You might get hurt just trying that."
"Come on Draco, I'm trying to help, I'm trying to understand why you'd turn… Death Eater." She spat out the last words, and he flinched as thunder rumbled again.
Of course; Death Eaters are evil beings with no feelings, no thoughts and no compassion. You are like that; display no feelings, no thoughts and show no compassion.
"Don't bullshit to me Granger, as if you'd actually care about someone like me and what this Mark stands for. Just go back to your cosy little dormitory with your little courageous friends who knows what's right and can stand up for what they believe in. Just fucking get out."
"Draco…"
"Granger, I'm going to repeat this only once before I start hurting you." He grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Get. Lost."
With a little motion, he called her wand and handed it to her.
"Please Granger," he said, as he pushed her softly to the exit.
A/N: Of course, all criticisms welcomed, but no flaming please. (: Review!