Cowardice

A short drabble set during Half Blood Prince.

The sequel to this fic is called Bravery.


Hermione walked into the Prefect's bathroom with all of her supplies packed into a satchel. She had a long day, and in Care of Magical Creatures, she got extra muddy. She was glad she didn't bump into any Slytherins, as they would no doubt be full of racist blood jokes concerning the mud all over her.

Hermione mumbled the password and opened the portrait. The last thing she expected to find was Ron and Lavender looking like they were attempting to eat each other's faces off on the side of the bath. They didn't even notice her! Hermione could feel her eyes stinging with tears as she stormed out of the bathroom and slammed the painting door. The couple didn't even stop when the crash of the slamming door echoed through the room. But Hermione didn't need to know that.

All she knew was that seeing them together just opened up old wounds for her. Hermione held herself together until she reached the top of the Astronomy Tower, where she just broke down right on the floor. She sobbed to her heart's content, and when she ran dry, she cried some more. She knew that everyone would either be at dinner or in their Common Rooms at the moment, so she had no worries of being found as she wept out her sorrows.

Hermione didn't even notice when someone walked in on her tear fest until he spoke, which he did ever so condescendingly.

"You know, crying isn't very befitting of a supposedly brave, little Gryffindor," he said with a hint of disgust. Hermione turned around to glare at the speaker with her puffy, bloodshot eyes. He only chuckled at her effort. "Even a Slytherin like me doesn't cry," he added smugly.

Hermione took a deep, somewhat shaky breath. "That's where you're wrong, Malfoy," she said hoarsely before clearing her throat a little.

"Oh?" he gasped, raising an eyebrow in question. "Do explain," he ushered on sarcastically.

She sent him the best glare she could. "Crying isn't cowardice. It's admitting weakness, which is something only a truly brave man can do," Hermione said determinedly, a fire blazing in her chocolate brown eyes.

Draco scoffed. "Only a coward would say such a thing to make himself seem brave, Granger," he spat with finality before storming off angrily down the Tower.

Hermione stared off in the direction he left. "But such slander is spoken only from those who are just as naive," she whispered to no one in particular.

Hermione didn't feel like crying anymore. She was more intrigued by the blonde boy that just stormed off. Just how ignorant can one person is about bravery and cowardice, especially in the midst of this Wizarding War and Voldemort's attempts to rise? You would think he didn't have any emotions at all.

-d-m-h-g-

Draco couldn't help but find himself angry every time he spoke with Hermione.

She just infuriated him. Her view on crying was near the exact opposite of his, but Draco couldn't help but feel that she was right, in a sense. And that angered him even more.

Draco did not appreciate being wrong. He didn't approve of crying, because it is a sign of weakness, no matter what Hermione Granger said. He was not a coward for not crying. To him, cowardice is crying. And Draco Malfoy is never wrong.

Right?


Hm... What do you guys think of my angst writing abilities? My first attempt at angst... Heh. -_-"

Read the sequel!