Break
When I woke up the next morning I was a bit dazed. A cricket was chirping loudly close by, and for a moment I thought I had fallen asleep outside. That's when I felt something warm adjust in my hand. I opened my eyes and found myself looking at Draco Malfoy's sleeping face. It didn't look like he was having a very pleasant dream. His eyebrows were low on his forehead and his hand kept twitching in mine, squeezing rather hard and angrily at times.
I checked my watch and realized that it was quite early. It must have been the uncomfortable sleeping position that I was in that woke me at five o'clock.
I wasn't sure if I should leave or not. I looked down at our clasped hands and tried to very carefully pry mine from his without him waking, but it seemed that the harder I pulled, the tighter he held.
In a few hours students would be filling the halls and heading to breakfast before boarding the Hogwarts Express in the afternoon and heading home for the holidays. Surprisingly, I still hadn't fully decided whether or not I was going home. I had my bags packed and I had owled my parents earlier, telling them to expect me, but I also knew that I could unpack, and send an owl saying I couldn't come just as easily.
If I didn't leave soon I would have a hard time explaining why I was still in my dress from last night. Then I remembered where I was. Perhaps if I just thought really hard about a change of clothes the Room would provide them for me.
I closed my eyes in order to concentrate better and wound up falling back asleep. When I woke back up Malfoy was also awake. I watched him through my lashes so that he wouldn't notice. He looked much better after a full nights rest, but it would take awhile before the dark circles completely disappeared. He was looking down at our hands, but other than the occasional flick from his eyelids, he was completely motionless.
Groaning, like I was just waking up, I stretched and felt him drop my hand. I opened my eyes all the way and saw his pale face, marked with something like terror and confusion. Standing up, I saw that the room had granted my request for a change of clothes; a pair of jeans and a jumper were folded neatly on a random night stand.
I grabbed the clothes and started walking around a large pile of rubbish to change, away from Malfoy's eyes.
"What are you doing?" he finally croaked out.
I stopped and turned to answer him. "Changing," I said simply.
He didn't do anything else, so stepped behind the pile and quickly slipped out of my dress and into the more casual clothes.
When I came back around, Malfoy was using his wand to cover the cabinet back up with the sheet.
"Are you going home for the holidays?" I asked him out of general curiosity. I wondered what 'home' was like for Malfoy. Was it even a home or just a house?
He gave a fake, breathy laugh. "Even if I wanted to go back to the Manor, no one would want me there. Not unless I came with news that this was fixed," he gestured to the cabinet.
"I'm going to visit my parents," I said when he didn't go on. "I would go to the Weasleys', but Ron and I aren't exactly on friendly terms."
He didn't look at me. "I don't care were you go, as long as you don't breathe a word of this to anyone."
I watched him check that everything was in place. Then he walked past me without a glance and out the door.
"Happy Christmas!" I managed, before the door snapped shut.
After I'd checked for the hundredth time that I had everything packed, I went to lunch, where Harry had some very exciting news and Ginny was in hysteria.
"I did it, Hermione!" she sobbed. "I broke it off with Dean!"
"Oh, Ginny! I'm sorry!" I said, sympathetically patting her shoulder.
"No, no," she wiped her eyes and straitened up. "I'm fine. You were right, all we do is fight. After Slughorn's party, we went up to the Common Room where Seamus had snuck in some Firewhisky and Butterbeers. Dean and the rest of the boys stayed up real late playing drinking games and by four o'clock this morning Dean was hammered and was sloshing around. He went to grab another shot when I told him to stop and go to bed. He got furious and started yelling about-" she choked. "Never mind. Anyway, how did the plan go last night?"
I rolled my eyes and Harry snickered. "Well, it sure managed to get Ron and Lavender worked up, but I cannot stand to be anywhere near Cormac."
"Still, plan accomplished!" Ginny said triumphantly. "Did you two even make it to the party?"
Harry choked on his water. I ignored him. "I guess you could say that."
"Speaking of the party," Said Harry, managing to regain himself. "Snape was there. He told me that Dumbledore was traveling."
"Traveling?" asked Ginny. "For what? Where?"
"He wouldn't say. And after Malfoy crashed the party, I heard them taking in the hall,"
I raised my eyebrows and glanced along the Slytherin table. Malfoy wasn't there.
"I couldn't hear all of it. Snape wanted to help him with something and Malfoy insisted he could do it himself."
"What do think it was?" I asked. Although, I was certain I already knew.
"I don't know. But this is almost proof, Hermione. Malfoy's become a Death Eater!"
I rolled my eyes. "This proves nothing, Harry! Did either of them actually say that?"
He huffed. "No."
"All right then."
We went back to picking at our food. Was Snape trying to help Malfoy, or was he one of the people forcing him? I couldn't understand why Malfoy wouldn't accept help if it was offered to him. Probably too proud. Then how was I suppose to explain to myself what happened last night? Again?
The task was obviously taking a toll on Malfoy. Last night was probably the first time he'd slept in days, and who knows when he ate last. He was skipping meals again, I noticed. And when he did show up, he just played with his food and sulked.
Surprisingly, the state of his health was making me anxious. The more I looked at his empty spot at the Slytherin table, the more fidgety I got. I thought about him wasting away over the holidays in the Room of Requirement.
I jumped up suddenly, startling Harry and Ginny.
"I just remembered! I need to go to Hogsmead, I forgot to buy something!" I gasped.
I stumbled out of my seat and hurried away before either of them could say anything.
I was going to Hogsmead, but not because I forgot to buy something. I had just thought of something too buy.
I went to Honeydukes and bought a bag of treats quickly. I didn't have anything to wrap them in so I left them in the paper bag.
The train was due to leave at eleven and it was already ten forty five. I had to make this quick.
I ran back into the school and headed strait for the seventh floor, but I passed the portrait of The Fat Lady, instead making my way to the bare stretch of hallway in the back.
With Harry, Ron, and Ginny all leaving for the holidays there were very few people who would be left that knew how to work the Room of Requirement. And I knew one of those people was Malfoy.
I dropped my things in front of the wall and hurriedly took out a quill and bottle of ink. I scribbled Draco Malfoy's initials on the paper bag of sweets and then slid it into the more shady corner of the wall, were hopefully only Malfoy would see it.
He would be too greedy not to look at the bag, but whether or not he actually ate what I gave him I had no idea. At least I'd tried.
I ran back to the Gryffindor Common Room where I met Ginny and grabbed my trunk. We hastily boarded the train and found a compartment all to ourselves. I would have gladly sat with Harry, but Ron had managed to pry himself from Lavender long enough to ride to London with him.
"You should talk to Ron," Ginny told me, about a half an hour later.
I snorted.
"He's not with Lavender. Now would be a great time to at least talk to him and Harry about-," she paused and leaned in. "Something's wrong with Harry," she whispered.
"What?" I asked.
"I heard girls in his Potions Class talking about how he was the only one getting high marks. And he keeps carrying around that ratty book everywhere. I bet he even sleeps with it."
She was right. Harry was the only one getting high marks. And he was carrying around the torn potions book everywhere. And reading it. Which wasn't something I thought Ron nor Harry did very often.
"I'm just worried," she added. "I know how dangerous old books can be."
I nodded, remembering the incident in my second year. "Okay. I'll see if I can talk to them."
I slid open the compartment door and shimmied into the hall. Checking in the compartments for Harry and Ron, I finally found them about halfway down the train. But when I went to slide open their door, I noticed something written in the condensation on the glass. It was a heart. And inside it where the initials RW and LB.
Harry and Ron were both looking at me, however Harry looked more sorry than Ron. I took a deep breath and straitened up. Then I turned on my heel, and very dignified, walked away. But I only just made it out of their view before I broke down. I hid my tears behind my shirt sleeves and hurried to the toilet. I couldn't take it any more. This feud that Ron and I had, over I wasn't even sure what anymore, was causing me to loose one of my best friends.
I rinsed my face under the water and composed myself in the mirror. I decided that when we came back from break I would try to treat Ron as though Lavender wasn't there. Which would be hard considering that they were both practically attached at the lips, but at least I would try.
When the Hogwarts Express pulled onto platform 9 3/4 almost all of the school poured out and ran to meet the kin that was waiting for them. My parents were waving enthusiastically at me from next to the Weasleys.
I greeted Mr and Mrs. Weasley, gave each of my parents a quick hug, and then hurried them out before any awkward exchanges would be made between Ron and me. I knew I would have to embrace the awkwardness some time, just not now.
When we got home I help my parents decorate our Christmas tree and put up tinsel and holly. Then we sat by the fire with steaming cups of coco and I told them about my classes and they told me about their work and it started to snow big, fat, lazy snowflakes, and it was all beautiful.
A/N: Sorry. Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry! Sorry. I know it's been awhile. Again. I've just been busy with my other writing and work and art and stuff.
Than you, Jane Glass for telling me to get a move on! I appreciated that. And thanks to everyone who commented on last chapter. I know this one's short again (ugh!), but it would be wonderful you reviewed anyway!
Sorry about grammar mistakes, I'm sure there's some, I wanted this up tonight so I didn't get to reread it a ton.
With love,
Wren Gebel
