Title: Downpour
House: Slytherin
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Weather: torrential downpour]
Word count: 923
Beta: DaronwyK
A/N: written for the Houses Competition Round 9 EWE. The "eight year" at Hogwarts.
The rain came down suddenly, a torrential downpour like only the Scotland skies can produce. Hermione Granger was at the owlery sending a message to her parents when water poured from above like a biblical storm. She didn't have an umbrella and even though she could produce an umbrella-type charm or transfigure one from some random object, the strength of the storm would have made it impossible to make it to the castle without getting soaked anyway. She decided to put her magic to better use; cleaned up an area of the tower, transfigured an old wooden box into an armchair, put a water repelling charm on one of the windows and then sat to watch the storm. She was in no hurry to go back to the castle anyway.
She was back at Hogwarts to finish her education after the war, but her two best friends were not. Her relationship with Ron didn't make it through the summer and she was happy they were able to simply go their separate ways before the fights got nasty. She had never been a social butterfly and the months on the run had made her even more reserved; she got used to the long intervals of silence in between crises. So, she sat on the armchair and hugged her knees, contented to just watch the rainfall. She had been there for only a couple of minutes when a snorted laugh alerted her that she was not alone.
"I should have thought of that instead of sitting on owl droppings like an idiot. I guess that's why they call you the most brilliant witch of this generation," said a slurred, low voice.
Hermione turned around to find a pretty disconcerting sight. Draco Malfoy was sitting on the floor of the owlery, his clothes dirty from the bird droppings, his hair in disarray, a flask in his hand. She got on guard and her hand instinctively found her wand, but then she saw that he didn't move. He simply stared. After holding his gaze for a few moments, she pointed her wand to accio another box and used it to extend the armchair into a loveseat.
"Here, Malfoy, have a seat. No need to be covered in poo."
He snorted another laugh.
"Well, considering that everyone treats me like I'm covered in manure these days, this is actually fitting," he said gesturing towards his soiled clothes.
Hermione rolled her eyes. She was not planning on throwing Draco Malfoy a pity party.
"Stand up, Malfoy."
He scowled but obeyed. She cast a cleaning spell over him, then signaled towards the empty side of the loveseat.
"Now you can join the rest of the human race again," she said.
He laughed ironically.
"I think the human race would be happy to get rid of me altogether, Granger. But thanks, its mighty kind of you to offer me a clean place to seat," he said giving her a mocking bow and a hand flare, but then took the offered seat.
She shook her head and turned to watch the rain again. They sat in silence for a while. Draco broke the silence.
"Got any water, Granger?"
She laughed at the irony; there they were, watching a downpour, and the pureblood wizard who had relied on magic his whole life couldn't put two and two together to conjure an aquamenti. She waved her wand to transfigure his now empty flask into a goblet and filled it with water.
"Do you want to tell me why are you drunk inside the school grounds in the middle of the afternoon, Malfoy?"
He shrugged.
"Got nothing better to do. Nowhere else to be."
"Picking the owlery as your drinking spot makes it look like you are actually hiding."
He shrugged again.
"Maybe I am."
"From whom?"
"From everyone. From everything. Not all of us got to become Golden Girls or Golden Boys during the war. Some of us were the villains. The scum. So now I'm just getting comfortable in my new place, among the droppings," he said gesturing towards the floor around them.
Hermione felt her heart cringe. After the war, she and Harry had spoken during Draco's trial, explaining how he had more than once let them slip through the cracks, which had pretty much kept them alive. She thought they were even. Apparently, they were not. The wizarding world was in pieces, and some pieces were more shattered than others. The former Slytherin Prince had been a nasty classmate, but he was not evil. He had been a child soldier as much as herself, but at least she had volunteered. He had been coerced by means of terror and threat. Her protective instinct took over and she reached out and put her hand on his. He stiffened up and stared at the hands, baffled. Then his breath grew ragged and he broke up into sobs. His body wiggled, seemingly unable to hold his own weight, so she slowly pulled him down until his head was resting on her lap. He allowed it, crying uncontrollably. She waited patiently, running her fingers through his hair, tears of her own running down her face. After what felt to him like an eternity his sobs subsided and in between deep breaths he said
"You know, Granger, I would very much like to obliviate you right now, but if I do I will go to Azkaban."
She chuckled softly, still caressing his silky hair.
"Maybe I can just keep a secret. Have you thought about that?"