Chapter Four – Dragging Me Down
Hermione, like many nights before, was wide awake in her bed. She was lying on her back, hands behind her head, and stared very sternly in the direction of the ceiling. She was once again trying to imagine the images painted for her in the book, her eyes would close and reopen but the all see could see was the darkness of her empty room. It was very odd that on some nights she felt like she was there, in a vast empty hall standing and staring at the stars, and some nights she would see nothing. She felt so alone on these nights, pulling the Hogwarts a History from under her pillow she ran her fingers over the crest indented on its cover. Earlier she was reading about the area surrounding the school grounds, the dark forest in particular. She read about creatures, like unicorns, which moved in herds among the trees. Apparently Hogwarts was famous for the diversity of life the Dark Forest had offered. How she wanted nothing more tonight then to see a unicorn running free among the forest foliage, glowing under the light of the moon.
She gave up on unicorns for tonight; she moved the book back under her pillow and began to think of the young man that had visited her today. She found him to be very attractive, he had one of those faces you could never forget, but she remembered sadly that she had forgotten who he was. His eyes were a bright ice blue, but they were calculating. It was if everything she said to him, he had to process several times over before he made a reply. Perhaps it was the way he avoided physical contact with her, he almost made her feel dirty about herself. She still hoped he would visit again, and this time she hoped he would tell her more about how he teased her at school, if anything it would humor her. She drifted to sleep quickly; at least that is what she assumed.
"No" said a harsh whisper into the emptiness of the room. Frozen in despair a single tear fell down the side of her face, and in a blink she was asleep as if she never opened her eyes at all.
He had no idea what force made him come here. Moments ago he was sitting at his father's desk, battling with some aggressive paperwork; literally, paper cuts now covered his hands. Now he stood grimly before Flourish & Blotts. He had gotten up from his chair, in frustration at the endless paperwork his father has bestowed on him; grabbed his cloak and apparated to the first place on his mind.
So here he stood, unsure if to go somewhere else, but understanding why he was here. He spent several weeks trying to forget everything that had been dragging him down, which ranged from fiancés to his father's impending kiss, to his not so wonderful reunion with Granger.
Of all the places to go, he never thought he would want to come here. Defeated by his long, painful day, he decided perhaps a new book to distract him was just what he needed.
Authors Note: Been a while, so here is a tease for you. I hope to get another chapter done soon, seriously… I do. Please review I have come into some spare time!