A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a while! Sorry about that but I'm back! I hope this chapter doesn't read too awkwardly as I'm trying to get back into the story. Enjoy!
Where could it be? Draco rummages through the cupboard. He already searched all over the floors, tables, but still had no luck.
"What are you doing?" Snape's voice comes booming. Draco spins around and gulps. Snape stands in the doorway with cross arms and cocks an eyebrow waiting for him to answer.
Draco tries to think of what he can say, before giving up trying to lie to him.
"I lost something that I thought would be here." Draco sighs. Snape can easily use Legilimency on him. Draco reluctantly walks his way towards the classroom door. Just as he passes Snape, he stops him and presses something into his hand. Draco turns his head to read his professor's face, to see if it gives any hint of what's on the paper. But all Draco sees is the back of his head as he's walking away. Draco looks down into his hands at a piece of crumpled paper. Something about it feels familiar. He takes in a deep breath while he gingerly opens the note.
Thanks
There it is, in the palm of his hands. He tucks it back into his pocket, straightens himself up, clears his throat and walks out the room as if nothing happened.
Feeling the snow crunch beneath his shoes, Draco makes his way across the wooden bridge. The cold air hits his lungs as he takes in a long deep breath and exhales a big puff of cloud.
How come I didn't see her in Hogsmeade?
Draco replays his day in his head. He spent the whole day in Hogsmeade wondering around, and every single time he spotted Potter and Weasley, not once did he see her with them. She usually is, unless she spent the day in the library? Maybe she spent the day in her dorm?
Draco tries to rid all his questions and thoughts about her by shaking his head vigorously. When he stops and his eyes focus, he sees her before him. There she is, sitting a few feet away from the end of the bridge, on one of the benches in a small stone gazebo.
Do I walk over? Draco battles within himself whether to leave her alone in her peace, or to walk over to her.
While he silently stands there at the end of the bridge, Hermione looks up at him, leaving him feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. He opens his mouth to say something, but then snaps it shut. She turns away from him and continues to stare ahead. Something about the state she's in makes him walk over to her. He gingerly sits down on the bench, far enough to give her her space.
He's not sure how long he's been sitting next to her, but darkness soon falls upon them. He opens his mouth once again to say something when he feels something against his shoulders, but decides against it, once again.
If they don't start heading back soon, they'll be breaking curfew. But she had fallen asleep on his shoulders and he didn't want to wake her. He throws his winter coat over her and casts the disillusionment charm. He didn't want anyone to see him carry her back to the castle. She snuggles her head so close to his neck that can feel her breath on his neck. Swallowing hard, he has to decide what to do about her. He couldn't bring her back to her common room, no way was he going to be caught dead hanging around near the Gryffindor Tower. But he couldn't just dump her somewhere and hope someone will find her and bring her back. He really didn't want to wake her whatsoever.
He decides to head straight down to the dungeons. He knows that if someone catches him, they would both be in a whole lot of trouble. Students were only suppose to be in the common rooms of their own houses.
He stands before a stone wall, shifts her in his arms and calls out the password to the Slytherin Dungeons and peers behind him while he waits for the passageway to appear before him. He hurries to place her down gently on the couch in the common room.
Should I bring her to my room? No I can't, then everyone will think something happened between us and I'll be in trouble for sure! Not to mention I would get her in trouble and she'd hate me. So then do I leave her out here? But then everyone will see in the morning. Why did I even bring her here?
He ponders about what he should do while he pulls a blanket over her and watches her sleep.
"What is she doing here?" Hisses a voice that stirs him. He looks up to see Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle hovering over the couch. The blanket covers most of her face, but you can still see it.
"Shh!" He whispers loudly. He didn't want them to wake her. He starts to think of an excuse but couldn't come up with one.
"Getting back at that Potter by kidnapping his friend?" He nods quickly. Goyle may be dumb but sometimes helpful.
"Go on now" He waves them off. Pansy scoffs and leaves with Goyle and Crabbe behind her. He casts the disillusionment charm once again, in hopes that no one else will walk in and see her.
Where am I? Hermione wakes up looking at her surroundings. This doesn't look like the Gryffindor common room. She looks down at the blanket that was covering her. Green and silver. Definitely not Gryffindor Tower.
How did I end up here? She starts to panic when she notices a heavy feeling against her leg. She looks down to see a silvery blond head up against her. He had fallen asleep on the floor next to her. She shifts carefully, trying not to wake her but he wakes up with a jump immediately.
"Why are you sleeping on the floor?" She watches him bring a hand to rub his eye.
"I fell asleep wa- I fell asleep" he clears his throat. He's not about to let her know that he fell asleep watching her sleep. She nods, stretches and throws the blanket off of her.
"Wait, how did I get here?" She asks in a whisper.
"I casted a disillusionment charm to carry you in here" He says smirking at her reaction.
"Not as dumb as you think" Before she says anything, they hear feet behind them. Hermione quickly casts the disillusionment charm and follows Draco out of the Dungeon.
Once outside, they walk towards the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione doesn't ask what happen and Draco doesn't bring it up.
"Hermione!" She looks up to see Ron and Harry walking together frowning. She hurries towards them, leaving Draco behind.
"Where were you last night? We couldn't find you" Ron asks her while Harry glares at Draco. Why were the two of them walking together?
"I had to patrol last night with Draco" Hermione answers.
"Oh." Ron nods.
"But wait-" Harry wants to say that it doesn't explain why they were together in the morning, but Hermione's already pulling on his arm towards the Great Hall.
"Come on, breakfast awaits" She knows it won't change Harry's questioning, but it'll be a quick distraction while trying to think of what to say when Harry asks again.
"So why were you with Malfoy?" Harry asks while they settle into their seats.
"I wasn't, not really. We just ran into each other"
"How?" Harry raises an eyebrow.
"He came up the spiral staircase and we ran into each other in the Viaduct Entrance" She says lying. Hopefully he doesn't see through it. Harry furrows his eyebrows at her story. Just then, a flock of owls fly in surprising Harry with a large amount of letters from people who thinks he's insane and those who believe him.
While walking through the hall, the trio sees that Professor Umbridge issue a new Educational Decree banning anyone from possessing the Quibbler. Over the weekend, Harry's interview was published in the Quibbler, causing Professor Umbridge to strip Harry of his Hogsmeade visitation rights.
"I can't believe she did that!" Harry grumbles.
"What are you smiling about?" Ron asks a smiling Hermione.
"Her decree will only make the whole school to read Harry's interview." Just then, Cho Chang walks up to the three of them.
"Hello Harry." Cho says biting her bottom lip.
"Hey Cho."
"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior, and to tell you that I think you were really brave for doing that interview."
"Oh. Uh, thanks" Harry replies turning slightly pink. Cho leans in to give him a kiss and they both turn pink. Hermione shifts uncomfortably before walking away from them.
"Hermione, wait up!" Ron and Harry hurries after her.
"Why'd you walk off like that?" Ron asks.
"We're going to be late for class!" Hermione half-cries as she rushes ahead of them. The two boys exchange looks and shake their heads. Typical Hermione.
