Wandering, Wondering, Why
Summary: Wandering the halls at night will get you nowhere, unless your mind tells you something is irregular; that something is terribly wrong. A dilly dally one-shot I thought of late at night. Turn into a short chapter story? Might not make sense, since I wrote it practically half-asleep.
If I owned Harry Potter, well… I wouldn't change a thing. Other than changing who Draco marries.
It was after hours in Hogwarts.
Hermione lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling in her bed. She folded her hands over her mid-section, unable to fall asleep for reasons unknown. She had tests the next morning, and her concentration would be needed more than ever.
If she got anything below and O on her OWLS, Hermione would not allow herself another bit of free time until she was certain she could re-take, and pass with flying colours. It was just something she did. She wasn't normal after all.
While she lay there, still unable to close her eyes and drift off, Hermione couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
A feeling lingered in the pit of her stomach like a spark of fire. It stirred her with curiosity, and the embers only continued to escalate with each passing moment. She had to find out just what it was that was keeping her from getting her much needed rest.
Carefully, and oh-so quietly, Hermione slipped out of her warm covers, and reached around for her wand. She cast Lumos once her fingers wrapped around its base, and quickly shuffled out of the girl's dormitory before she could wake anyone else. Hermione crept her way into the halls, and down the stairs where she could see the entrance to the Common Room.
There was not another student in sight, and she knew what would happen to her if she was found wandering around in the middle of the night. She need not get points taken away from her House, but she also was too determined.
Something in Hermione's mind told her to leave that dorm and go searching for what had been keeping her up practically all night. She listened to it, and wouldn't stop until then.
The stone floor was chilling on her bare feet, and she'd wished she had grabbed her robe beforehand. Hermione's teeth chattered, almost too loudly, and with every sound in the distance, she jumped.
There was another light that caught Hermione's eyes the closer she got to the Boy's Lavatory. Immediately, she whispered "Nox" and hid herself in the shadows.
With that little light, Hermione swore she could hear the sounds of someone… someone who was crying.
Her brows furrowed, and her heart sped up, almost recognizing the voice as it muttered something completely inaudible for her ears. She walked once more, tip-toeing to the end of the hall, where she eventually made it to the lavatory door. She could see the back of a person's profile, hunched over the sink and trembling.
Their crying tugged at her.
Even more so when she realized who they were.
"Malfoy…?"
The figure snapped up, and Hermione had covered her lips with both hands after realizing the sound of her own voice. She took a couple steps backwards, trying so hard to disappear before the other person turned and found her out.
Draco Malfoy turned on his heels, holding out his wand, arm shaking uncontrollably as his head tossed side to side. He looked pale, and his eyes were swollen and stained with tears. He looked so scared, something that Hermione had never truly seen in him before. He was a mess, and it made her breath leave her lungs at the sight. What could possibly be wrong with Draco? Why was he crying… alone, in the boy's bathroom after hours?
And why did she seem to care?
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