Musings and Warnings
Hermione's POV:
I lay awake in my bed for a long time. The sun was shining through my window on to my face. It was sweltering in the blankets I suppose. But my mind was preoccupied. What the hell happened last night?! I kept questioning myself. It made no sense. I hugged Draco Malfoy? What the hell came over me? The thoughts were nagging me.
I decided I could not stay in bed all day. I had to attend my classes. But how could I go out without seeing him? I was embarrassed, awkward and angry with myself. He was my enemy. He was a bully. It was bad enough that I had to live with him. But now hug him? Show him that I was so weak and vulnerable? Granted the nightmare was disturbing but I did not need a shoulder to cry on, especially not his! And now I will be that girl who needs help and won't hesitate to turn to an enemy!
YOU ARE OVERTHINKING THIS! I told myself as I walked to the door. I took a deep breath and peeped outside. I saw a hint of blonde hair before the main door shut close. Phew! I walked into the bathroom to take a shower.
I hadn't thought about Ginny at all. What would she say? I didn't pay attention as she ranted about how Arnold, her pygmy puff was now biting her sheets and putting holes in them. But I couldn't not tell her! He was the guy who bullied me all throughout my school years. "Even you think he has changed, don't you?" Ginny's voice echoed in my head. He was being nice to me. Heck, he even called me by my name. That was definitely a first. And the Malfoy I knew would have mocked me mortified me. But the Malfoy I met last night was different. Had he really changed?
"Hello? Hermione, are you there?" Ginny was screaming at me.
"Sorry Gin. What's up?"
"You look flustered. Are you OK?"
Her brown eyes were questioning me and I knew I could not hide it from her. She was my best friend after all.
I sighed heavily. I had to do this. "Um… there is something I have to tell you."
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Draco's POV:
Whatever went down the previous night was not to happen. She never meant to hug me, surely. We are supposed to hate each other. I had always bullied her and that was a good enough reason for her to not like me. She was vulnerable yesterday and that can happen to anyone. 'But you were the one who went to her' my thoughts told me. I knew that. And that was partly the reason why I ran away from the common room first thing in the morning. I wondered how she felt about the whole thing. Why was I even thinking about this?
"So, are you going to avoid us completely now?" a voice interrupted my rambling. Goyle had come to sit opposite me at the Slytherin table. He had a fierce look on his face.
"I was avoiding you? Greg, you were the one who stopped talking to me after last year. You never wanted me to talk to you either!"
"Fine I did that. But you are my friend and I cannot stay mad at you."
I raised my eyebrows. In all the years of knowing them, neither Crabbe nor Goyle referred to me as their friend. To everyone outside the gang, they were my 'goons' and it was no different, the way I treated them. And now suddenly he calls me my friend. What was he up to?
"Congratulations on the badge. Never thought she would pick you after what happened..." Goyle was speaking.
"Thanks" I replied and went back to my food. I did not want to pay much attention to him, fearing he was going on the lines of Theo.
"Drake, listen. There's something I need to tell you," he said, lowering his voice.
I looked up, sceptic "What is it?"
"We are regrouping."
"What?!"
He dropped his voice further low, "Remember those coins that Potty's army had? Well, we made similar ones for our communication."
"Who is 'we'?" I asked, partially knowing the answer.
"Pansy, Theo and I… That is why she had vanished. She is recruiting all the Death Eaters who are in hiding."
So, what I thought had was true. Pansy is up to something. And she is the only one who could have sent me those letters. My blood was boiling. How could she?!
'Why are you telling me all of this, Vince? Especially after all the letters Pansy sent me" I asked through gritting teeth.
"That is because I know you, Draco. Pansy thinks you have changed. But I know you have not. I know you want revenge. For what they did to your father-"
'What did they do? They threw him in Azkaban, where he deserves to be!"
"I can't believe you said that! He did something so noble-"
"Do you even hear yourself? You sound exactly like Theo! Noble? What was noble, Goyle? Killing innocent people? Threatening lives? I was forced into being a Death Eater but you never were one. Neither was Pansy. So, you have no idea what it was like being one. It was a hell hole, Greg. Don't go back there."
Goyle's face hardened. What I said never reached his dull head, I knew then.
"You might have become a coward, Draco. I have not. Pansy is right. You have changed. Do as you please. But if you breathe a word out, you will be dead."
He left the table, leaving me in rage. Regrouping? What the fuck? And threatening my life? They had now reached new heights of annoyance. I rose from the table and walked out of the Great Hall. I had some mirrors to punch.
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