Disclaimer: It's all JKR's.
A/N: Just a quick drabble, D/Hr of course!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Here is Where
by: iriscristata
In the classroom, they sit together in silence, spare for a few commands. 'Stir counter-clockwise. Add the bezoar. Wait for it to boil.' They turn in the perfect potions, the perfect essays. The competition is tense, though Hermione fares better than Draco. For this, he puts on a scowl, a sneer, or a smirk. Their banter is held in check by the weary professor. She pays rapt attention in every class, and sometimes he wonders how she can have so much self-discipline.
In the halls, they avoid one another's eyes, or if they must, give a nod of acknowledgement. They must set an example for younger students. They are heads, after all. When they patrol, they speak of school affairs. They plan the upcoming school events, and check for students out of bed. She muses on how they're wandering the halls as well, yet they are allowed, simply because of a shiny badge. He smiles in the darkness.
In the library, they sit alongside each other, silently studying at their regular table. Others accept that they study together. It makes sense to them, since Hermione is the top of their year, with Draco not far behind. This is only where their companionship is accepted, though questioned and misunderstood. They don't care, though. He points out that she has an error in her notes, that the discovery of wandless magic was before that of aided. She thanks him.
But when the night falls, and when they retreat to their room, their silence and stiff politeness breaks. He's a boy, and she's a girl: there are no house boundaries, for they are secluded from the discretion of others. She understands his pride, as he understands and admires her strive for knowledge. She knows him better than anyone else at the school, and he knows things about her that nobody else does. Here is where they can talk, unlike in the classroom. Here is where they can meet each other's eyes, without worry of others seeing. Here is where they can show affection, and revel in soft touches and kisses. Here is where they long to be; here is where they look forward to everyday. As they sit in front of the fire, they wait until the day when here is everywhere.
