Mentions of minor drug abuse.
Two weeks came and went. Draco tried justifying the passing time, trying to keep his cool as one week flowed into two. Yet each day passed and nothing was heard about from Weasley, and the Ministry cracked down on students at school instead.
It was bleeding annoying to speak with Ministry workers all the time. Hermione spent a lot of time under their scrutiny, attempting to explain over and again that although Weasel liked the high of the drugs, she hadn't experienced it. Even being associated with the twit seemed to be enough to drag her down, and they were looking for a crack in her story. Anything to veer her attention away from the failed investigation for Weasel.
He swept his eyes over the bloke in front of him again, wondering what new kind of hell this was. The chap actually had the audacity to compare his hair earlier to the bleeding moon. Ha! His hair was much better than the moon.
"Tell me what happened again Mr. Malfoy," the old man said, his eyes overshadowed by the bushiness of his graying eyebrows. Draco clenched his hands, resisting the urge to hex those offending brows right off.
"I've told you three times," he snapped, eyes narrowing. "Just because you dunces keep losing the reports doesn't mean I have to keep reporting."
"It's protocol Mr. Malfoy," he said again, and Draco scrunched up his nose, attempting in vain to remember the older man's name. "We're trying to get to the bottom of this."
"You've accomplished nothing in the last fortnight," he reminded, sitting forward. "You do seem to waste a peculiar amount of time here at the school asking the same handful of people the same ridiculous questions. You've questioned Theo a dozen times in as many days."
"We want to keep the usage from spreading further through the school," bushy brows explained again. "Students already under the influence know more than those who do not."
"He's not a heavy addict."
"Perhaps not, Mr. Malfoy. But he may know more of the people working in the drug ring than most. Do you know anyone working in the shadows?"
Draco bit his lip, resisting the urge to kick him beneath the table. "I've already told you everything I know."
"You knew about the caravans," he continued, ignoring Draco's words completely. "And you knew where to find Ms. Granger when you went to find her, correct?"
He glared at the old man, but said nothing. Hermione may have guessed he once used the drug, but that didn't mean he needed to admit to it here. That only involved the war, and never thereafter. The information wasn't pertinent to what they were asking.
Bushy brows sighed, leaning forward in his chair to clasp his hands. "We can't get anywhere if you don't tell me the truth Mr. Malfoy. We've been very nice with all the students we've been questioning. It would be a shame if we had to resort to veritaserum to further our case."
Lip twitching, Draco felt his hand clenching tighten, nails digging painfully into the pads of his palms. "The use is illegal on school grounds. Even if most of us are of age we can't use it here. I can't believe the Ministry would suggest such a thing."
Sitting back, the old man scowled. Draco enjoyed this part of the interrogation the most, when he could get under the investigator's skin, not the other way around. "It hasn't come to that yet Mr. Malfoy. We will use all precautions we can to avoid using veritaserum, but if innocent lives are in danger of an uprising we must take action."
Draco scoffed, pushing away from the table. It was always the same rubbish. "I think we're done here."
Bushy brows sighed again, standing as well. "Very well. If you think of anything pressing, please do contact me Draco. A good, strong lead is all we need in this investigation."
His fingers twitched to react to the use of his first name, but instead he brushed the old man off, turning smartly on his heel to exit the space. The door banged shut behind him, and he didn't bother looking back.
He was terribly tired of the blasted investigations. The Ministry had no lead, and they likely wouldn't for a while. They were busy wasting their time here, bleeding the students dry with stupid questions. They probably knew less now about everything than they did in the beginning.
"You see ol' smelly again?" Blaise asked, spotting the blond as he passed. He fell into step beside his friend, ignoring the daggers shot his way.
"Same as a few days ago," he retorted, eyebrows drawing together. "They're wasting time asking us the same damn questions, when they should be out in Diagon Alley and the crossroads looking for people. There are so many other places they could be searching, but instead they are here, rubbing our brains raw."
Blaise smirked. "They only keep checking on us to make sure we don't get any big ideas. They don't want interference in their case."
Despite himself, Draco scoffed. "You can't honestly tell me the Ministry is planning ahead. They would forget about tomorrow if it wasn't on the bleeding calendars. There's no way they anticipate anyone interfering, especially here. They should be worried about people using the drug, not trying to fight it."
"Hermione is involved," he replied evenly, giving the blond a pointed look while ignoring the rest of what he said. "Potter too, and the Weasleys. They aren't exactly known for staying out of trouble, not to mention the rest of us." He shook his head, staring off down the corridor. "They are probably expecting interference. Besides, they've already narrowed down half of us who've used Willow's Weep. Of course, that doesn't account for Dragon's Breath, Sin-"
"We can't interfere with their plans if they aren't actually doing anything about what's happening," Draco snapped, eyebrows drawing together as he cut off his friend. The last thing he wanted to hear right now was discussion of more drugs. "They've wasted the past two weeks. It's nearly the end of October. Once the cold fronts come we won't be able to do much of anything. Tracking could be harder in the winter; people will stay off the streets and out of the cold. Besides, during the winter Willow's Weep is pricier."
"Everything becomes more serious for the addicts when they can't afford what they want," Blaise agreed, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they walked. "Pricing goes up, people suffer more. The Ministry should be thinking about that, not how many times they've come to see us. Really, people will be less controllable and more obvious to spot when they are no longer under the strong influence of the drug. But they have people focused inward too, working on the students here to see if someone will crack. They're hoping one of us knows more than we let on. That may or may not be true."
"It's not like anything's changed here," Draco continued, hopping on the bandwagon. "With the caravans gone there's really nothing supporting drug trade. Nowhere else in Hogsmeade would dare sell it. They just to find something out from one of us. Until they do they bloody well won't leave."
"Not that we can go to Hogsmeade anyway," Blaise muttered, shooting Draco a mischievous look. "They've cracked down on security so much that we can't even walk that far. It's fucking ridiculous. How can that old bat allow this?"
Draco frowned, thinking of the last conversation he'd had with the Headmistress. She was struggling at the time with what would come from the drugs being so close to the school, and although she worried about security then she didn't seem to want to put as tight of a hold on the school as there was. He believed this was much more the Ministry's doing than McGonagalls.
Speaking of security, it was a bit of a pain to deal with while trying to help Hermione modify the drug. So far there'd been complications with the Ministry and all the damn questioning, and it burned her out by the end of the day. He tried to refocus his mind, but he couldn't quite seem to draw himself away from the first time she'd returned from interrogation, looking crestfallen and on the verge of hexing something:
She stormed in, upending the poor foot stool by the sofa so she had something to kick, dropping her bag half on his textbook as she threw herself down beside him. Her hair was mushed on one side as though she'd been rubbing the side of her head a lot, but the tear tracks drew his attention the most. He sat up straighter, shoving aside his homework.
Didn't the bleeding Ministry understand that just this morning the Weasley's tore her apart? And now, after being forced into an interrogation this afternoon, she looked worse for wear.
"What happened?"
"Oh, I'll tell you what happened!" she snapped, sitting straighter on the sofa. She nearly jumped towards him and involuntarily he leaned back, surprised by the amount of anger radiating off her. "They're blaming me."
Draco frowned, tilting his head. "Blaming you for what?"
"For what happened to Ron," she snapped again, getting up. "That stupid man, his condescending little attitude, he actually told me this would never have happened if the authorities knew of it. They could of course control the situation. They could use their stupid needles and their rehab and just fix him right up!"
"I don't-"
"But they wouldn't do that Draco!" she continued, speaking right over him. "I asked what they do to people who are addicted. Do you want to know the new procedures? They shoot you up with something different that turns you into a vegetable for a few days. It's supposed to drain everything right out of you. Does that sound better to you, really?"
"Um-"
"And because I didn't just turn Ron over now the Ministry thinks I'm using it too! Can you believe that?"
"It is the Ministry."
"So now they want to talk to me and get inside my head and see if I know anything else! What are they going to find out? That I'm trying to come up with a better solution than their shitty one?" She scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air again. "Yeah, fat load of good that'll do them."
"The Ministry likes control," he reasoned, stepping closer to her. She stopped him a moment, reaching out to grasp the sleeve of his shirt, pulling the fabric up to his elbow. He half expected her to be looking for the Dark Mark, but it was the wrong arm. "What are you doing?"
"They might be controlling but they know a few things," she muttered, studying his arm. "Did you know some people have a patch here now, on the skin of the wrist? It kind of looks like a tattoo, except it's a small willow. It works as a patch for Willow's Weep. They mentioned some other drugs, they have it too. To people who don't even use it, it looks like a decoration, not a contestant high."
Draco nodded, frowning. She went from throwing herself around the room to eerily calm far too easily. "Why are you checking me?"
Her eyes flicked to his for a moment, before dropping his wrist and turning away. "You used it once. I thought maybe… maybe it left the impression in your skin, like a calling card. It's different, something I haven't heard of before. I bet Ron hadn't either. With Lavender, he's probably learned a bunch more terrible things."
Ignoring the bite in her voice, he moved closer again. "So what now? Did they conclude anything?"
"They're going to keep asking us questions," she vented, crossing her arms. "You too, and probably your friends as well. I imagine they'll sweep the student body if they can, bleeding waste of time it'll be. And bloody lockdowns! They are going to tighten security, try to keep people from having access. Do you even realize what this means?!"
"They care more about a drug parade than they did the threat of Voldemort?"
She pushed him aside, glaring at him for his jab. "No. Tighter security means sneaking around. Damn it Draco, to get anything done we're going to have to sneak out for supplies!"
He focused again when Blaise bumped him, the crowd growing increasingly tighter. He hated when the halls were crowded. But he hated the look on Hermione's face more that first night, the self-loathing and her hate towards the new Ministry showing. She hadn't been so emotionally stretched since, not with a bleeding interview every few days. She was still upset, and still vying for a way to prove the Ministry absolutely wrong, but things were slow. He was so lost in thought again, he barely noticed Pansy until she was right in front of them.
"I wondered where you two were," she giggled, catching Blaise's attention immediately. She threw back her hair, and he thought the dolt might accidentally fall over.
Draco smirked as they walked, watching Pansy fall into line beside Blaise, blathering on about something non-important. He fiend interest, glancing off into the distance as they talked. It was so rare for Pansy to speak to Blaise these days that he couldn't be bothered to interrupt. Blaise would have his head anyway.
Glancing sidelong at the duo he rolled his eyes, watching Pansy animatedly tell Blaise about whatever bothered her now. She wasn't lodged into Theo's side today, the biggest wedge between their friendship, but that could all change in a matter of minutes. Her interest was as wavering as most people's patience, and she'd flipped between Blaise and Theo for far too long. Bringing it up wouldn't do him any good; that just seemed to piss everyone off.
Detaching himself from his friends, he made to go back to the common room. Blaise would undoubtedly want some time alone with Pansy, and he was all too happy to oblige. Turning he was nearly gone when he noticed something on Pansy's wrist, something that drew his attention back.
She had a willow on the inside, one of those magic tattoos. It could be a semi-permanent mark, or something she'd had applied that would last. He blinked, nearly rubbing his eyes to double check before he caught himself. She was turned away now, neither of his friends paying him any mind. He wondered if this was something she'd recently gotten done. If his memory served him correct, she usually wore something bulky across the skin there.
He was down the hallway before he got carried away. This was just one more thing to add to his growing list of peculiarities. There was no way Pansy let herself slip so far…
"We need more than the supply closets can provide," Hermione said, stretching out across the newly empty section of her bedroom. She'd moved the heavy cabinet into the living room for the time being, placing a worktable in its place that she intended to fill.
He didn't think she'd clear such a large space. With everything going on, school included, they hadn't made nearly as much headway as he knew she wanted to with a solution to Willow's Weep. In fact, according to Hermione, they were behind schedule.
He didn't even know there was a bleeding schedule.
"It looks ridiculous out here," Draco called from the doorway, staring at the cabinet's new position. "It's massive and it doesn't belong in front of the bloody window. You can't shrink it at all?"
"I may need it for storage."
Draco shook his head. Leave it to Granger to remodel the place. Peering into her room again he scowled. All that bloody room and she couldn't keep the cabinet? He didn't know all this potion work would cause her wardrobe to visit the hallway. Doing a double take, he realized her actual wardrobe was still inside the room, not lodged over this perfectly good window.
"And that's less obvious than hiding it in the corner of your room?" he snapped, the sarcasm leaking through. "You know, Blaise will positively lose it when he sees that. He already thinks we're in over our heads." The one thing he'd avoided speaking with Blaise about today was modification of the Willow's Weep. That was the only saving grace.
Hermione scoffed, glancing back at him as she arranged a few books on the table, straightening out her quill and parchment. He couldn't imagine why that was important. "Blaise thinks the whole idea is rubbish."
"And when exactly do you intend to tell your friends what you've got going on?" he persisted, stepping further into the room. She cringed but didn't respond, and he couldn't help shaking his head. From what he knew they didn't talk very much the past two weeks, which was odd. "You know they won't approve."
"That's why I haven't told them," she replied, turning to grin at him. It looked a little forced, like she was trying to convince herself of this. "Ginny… she isn't so much speaking to me right now as avoiding me. And Harry's right there with her. I don't know if she even knows what to do with me anymore." She sighed, and he could hear the defeat in her voice. "I think she hates me."
"I doubt she's just started hating you," he replied, crossing the room in three short strides. She was leaning on the desk now, fingers tapping uneasily on the wood. "If she didn't hate you in the beginning why would it change now?"
Hermione bit her lip, but this time she didn't seem to have anything to say. Instead she turned and hopped up on the desk, letting her feet dangle. "Because now she's seen how my silence tore apart Molly."
"That's due to Weasley," he argued. "His actions can't be justified, yours can."
"No they can't be," Hermione snapped, turning her eyes up to him. "I thought maybe I could justify everything for a while. But now I'm not even sure."
"That's the Ministry nonsense talking. They're getting into your head because you haven't been sleeping, and you keep taking people's patrols."
"I like having something to do at night," she grumbled.
He narrowed his eyes. "You like having an excuse to justify not sleeping. You're worried sick over everything, including the ingredients we haven't yet obtained." He glanced across her room towards the bathroom door. "I can't imagine how many more supplies we can fit in my cabinets. They're already filled to the brim."
"We need more supplies though. Not only that, but it would be really helpful if we could obtain a bottle of Willow's Weep. I'd love to examine another bottle and try and figure out what makes it so bleeding addictive. That's the real mystery. After that it's all a matter of countering it."
"And you think bringing in a bottle of that shite is a good idea?" he asked, scoffing. He leaned on the table beside her, resting his chin against her shoulder. Over the last two weeks he'd noticed how awkward she was with affection. He wasn't dumb enough to think that Weasley never showed her any, he was obviously smitten with her before the drugs won out. But in the past few months she'd grown to hate attraction and bodily contact, and Draco was still working out what she liked and couldn't stand. Sometimes it was hard to tell, especially when the blasted witch refused to sleep and her exhaustion made her irritable about everything.
She shrugged, leaning into him, his head lifting off to allow her the ability to move closer. "I don't know. There's a solution, likely an obvious one, that we're missing here. I just can't figure it out. Maybe getting a bottle of Willow's Weep is stupid, but the supplies we need aren't here Draco."
"I thought that was obvious where we'd get them. We just pop on over to Hogsmeade. If they don't have what we desire, Diagon Alley certainly will."
She jerked her head up, eyes widening at him. "We are not going to Diagon Alley. We aren't even supposed to leave the school."
Shrugging, he leaned back against the wall and pinned her with his gaze. "People never follow the rules. I thought you were good for breaking them. Besides, weren't we just agreeing the security around here is too tight? The caravans are gone, and so is the threat."
Unable to help herself, Hermione grinned coyly. He knew all about her multiple stints of escaping the school. "All right, but what's your point? We're the Heads. People will notice if we disappear. And obviously the caravans just being gone isn't enough. The Ministry's paranoid."
"We'll go this Saturday," Draco replied, smirking. "Everyone's always up late and neither of us have any duties that night, so long as you stop taking patrols. If your friends aren't speaking to you right now we can tell them to fuck off if they notice anything." He shrugged when she scoffed, but continued on anyway. "And mine won't give a damn. Besides, Saturday is a good day to go. The stores will be open later."
"What if we run into someone we know?" she asked, tilting her head. "Think about it: people are out there dealing these drugs, some former Death Eaters included. If even one of them recognizes us we could be in some serious trouble. And if we're going to Diagon Alley the danger increases. We aren't exactly people who blend into the background Draco; if someone dangerous spots us it may end badly."
"We're also some of the strongest duelists I know," he reasoned. "If something happens we can easily take care of it." He lifted her chin when she dropped his gaze, refusing to let her worry for even a moment. "And, if we do see Weasley, we'll magic the bastard until he can't move and drag him back. Letting mother Weasel chew his head off will be more than deserving. I'm sure you can even have a go."
She smiled at his attempt for humor, though it didn't really seem to work. She was more than worried about someone recognizing them, and whether it solely had to do with Weasley or not he couldn't tell. Obviously though, she would have troubles when they were out together. The best they could do was try to blend in.
Switching gears she grabbed his hand, attempting to change the subject. He'd noticed over the last two weeks when she wanted to avoid talking about something, she tried to distract him instead. As endearing – and on a good day enticing – as that was, he didn't much appreciate it when they were actually talking about something serious.
"Saturday is two days away," she continued, lifting his hand closer to her face, playing with the knuckles. "That's not a lot of time for inventory."
"You made a bloody list," he grunted. "What are you talking about inventory?"
"Well, I have to double check in the cabinets if-"
He scoffed, tightening his hand over hers. "This sounds like a lame excuse to locate my new booze cabinet."
She laughed then, gently smacking him in the chest as he released her fingers. "You idiot, I already know where that is."
"Oh do you?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he smirked at her.
"Absolutely," she agreed, grinning. Hopping off the desk she grasped the back of his neck standing on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "It's right beside your bed, so you can make a drink without getting up."
"No it isn't!" he scoffed, playfully grabbing her around the waist when she tried to escape. She leaned into him instead of pulling away, and his fingers splayed across her lower back. "That's way too obvious."
Hermione laughed, the first real laugh he'd heard from her all day. Throughout class she'd been her normal self, but she lacked the joy he recalled her having. Now she was laughing, and it was because of him. He felt a little flutter in his chest, and immediately banished the thought. Malfoy's did not get fluttering feelings.
She stood up again on her toes, drawing his full attention once more. Her fingers locked around his neck and she kissed him, and he relished in the feel. Out of everything these past two weeks, he definitely liked this the most.
He kissed her back, and felt her lifting up off the ground. Grinning into her lips, he tightened his grip. If he could just stay right there forever, he would.
Sneaking out of school was a lot harder in theory than it actually was. For one thing no one cared if they wandered around together anymore, which made traveling to their destination a lot easier. People had a bunch of rumors going around about them, so walking close together worked in their favor. And apparently Hermione's secret exit wasn't known to everyone, so the direction they headed wasn't crowded.
It was almost pathetically easy.
By the time they got to Hogsmeade it was just past eight. They'd forgone their uniforms for something casual that wouldn't draw them anymore attention. Slipping through the streets was easy, even on this windy night.
"It's nearly Halloween," she muttered, clutching at her cloak. Winter was coming, and October's winds pierced her clothing beneath. He watched her from the corner of his eye, smirking as her cheeks turned redder under each streetlight. "Temperature's dropping."
"It's been blustery for days," he recalled, following her down the path. They'd already checked two of the three news shops that might have what they were looking for, but thus far they'd been unsuccessful. The good thing was they were making great time. The bad? They weren't getting anything done.
By the time they'd succeeded in checking the last store it was nearly nine, and their luck was just as bad as before. She huffed as they left the establishment, grumbling beneath her breath about how useless the whole trip was.
"Should've started in Diagon Alley," she grunted, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "It's nearly nine; we've done nothing. People will miss us soon."
"No one's going to miss us," he reminded, dragging one of her hands up out of her pockets. Her fingers were cool to the touch, and he found it comforting to keep her warm as they walked. Even if she was irritable because they weren't finding anything, at least he got to spend some actual time alone with her. Usually there were too many students around, or something else going on, and they couldn't go places together without stares. Sure, disappearing through the halls was one thing. But if they stopped anywhere the looks never ceased.
They rounded the corner, intent on taking one of the local floos to Diagon Alley instead of apparating. He was nearly around the corner when her grip on his hand tightened and she froze, stalling his progress. Glancing back to look at her, he caught the look in her eyes.
"Hermione?"
She pulled hard on his arm, tugging him back around the corner. He didn't immediately see what was bothering her, not as his eyes swept the near empty street in front of them. People were either lodged in for the night or still out drinking at the Three Broomsticks.
Then he spotted her, and his surprise nearly caused him to lose grip of Hermione's hand. He managed to catch her escaping fingers, twisting her around so she couldn't go off after the girl in front of them.
He swore quietly. Apparently they couldn't just spend some time together.
Lavender darted across the road in front of them, and he couldn't believe their sheer dumb luck. Two weeks of nothing regarding Weasley, and the bint he ran off with is prancing through Hogsmeade. Draco nearly laughed at the stupidity of the situation but caught himself. Hermione was tense, ready to spring at any moment. Chuckling at her misery probably wouldn't help anything.
"We have to follow," she hissed, jerking in his grip. Letting her go was the safest option for him, he could already feel her wand jabbing into his thigh. But if he did that she'd just go running headlong into danger like usual.
But letting her go was just as stupid. She probably knew more than all the students cooped up in the school.
He let her go just as Lavender dipped out of sight ahead of them. Springing forward she shot him a glare, but it was half-hearted at best. She knew why he couldn't let her run ramrod. Together they quietly followed Brown, their footfalls quiet in the street. She led them around three more corners, keeping more to the shadows than the streetlights. Apparently she wasn't welcome openly here.
Draco's eyes kept darting around as they walked, looking for a trap ahead of them. If Weasley had any hold ups on her, then something could be waiting for them at the end of this journey. He worried the girl might be running them right into a trap. Weasel, despite how much he disliked him, seemed to be manipulative and persuasive when he needs to be.
Finally Brown stopped running, stopping near the outskirts of the town. She glanced around, as though expecting someone to pop out and catch her. She was right to be wary with everything going on. Instead she whistled once, steeling her back as best she could, shaking in the darkening world.
Grasping his hand again, Hermione shot him a look. "She's waiting for someone."
He nodded, keeping them back from Brown. She hadn't calmed since seeing the other girl, their intention for escaping school forgotten. For the first time in two weeks she was intent on something other than obtaining potion ingredients as quickly as she could.
"Maybe it's Ron-"
"Weasley wouldn't meet her here of all places," he hissed, never letting his eyes leave Brown. He worried if he did she might slip away if they got distracted. For all they knew, she wanted them to trail her, and that's why she risked running out here now.
But what good would tricking them do?
He was drawn out of his thoughts when another figure appeared, stumbling out of the trees. Draco was very familiar with this place; he'd spent a lot of time here when the caravans were around, and he doubted she showed up here by coincidence. His eyes narrowed, watching the approaching figure. They were taller than Brown by several inches, but the heavy cloak obscured any view of a face. Hermione grasped his hand tighter, and he could feel unease dripping off her.
"I could get in a lot of trouble you know," she hissed, speaking to the figure in the cloak. Gloved fingers reached forward and snatched something out of her hands, holding it cautiously, as though uncertain this was something he actually wanted. "You don't have to be so rude!"
The figure stuffed the item into an overlarge pocket, but Draco already had an idea what it was. "Here," he gruffed, the voice so familiar Draco's eyes widened. He stuffed some money into her hands, giving her a gentle shove back. "Now go."
"You're welcome," Brown grunted, crossing her arms. "You could be more grateful."
He shrugged, but Draco noticed the color of his eyes now beneath the cloak, and it confirmed his fears. Damnit, of course Theo couldn't keep away.
Theo. Fuck. How would he explain any of this the next time someone came investigating? If this already happened before, then Theo lied every time someone interrogated him. He shot a quick look at Hermione, realizing she'd come to the same conclusion.
"You should go before someone sees you," he snapped, turning to go. Half a step away he turned back, inclining his head in the lingering lights of the street. "I thought you said it was hard to get away."
"It's hard to get here," she corrected with a huff. "The Ministry's locking down on everything near the school. I won't be able to return for a while." She paused, and Draco could practically feel her mood shifting. "You could always come with."
"I told you before I'm not interested in whatever mukluk plan you've all come up with."
Draco exchanged a glance with Hermione, who no longer looked like she may dart out there. Theo apparently met with Lavender more than once, and she'd tried before to convince him to disappear from school. That in itself was unsettling. Who else did she talk to about disappearing? And who gave her the bloody idea in the first place to bother people still at Hogwarts.
He wondered if the drugs really did have that much of a hold on her.
"You'll change your mind," Lavender countered, and he could almost hear the smile in her voice. She turned from him, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she walked. Draco tensed, wondering if she would wander far enough to find their hiding place. He found that he had no reason to worry though, as she disappeared in the next few steps, apparating completely out of Hogsmeade.
His stomach churned. She could apparate out, so why didn't she apparate in?
They remained where they were another moment, watching Theo in the distance. He tore off the hood, scowling into the darkness. Draco moved to get up and confront his friend but Hermione didn't let go of his arm. He shot her a look, wondering what she thought she was doing. Theo was supposed to be getting over the drugs, not sneaking them.
"Let me-"
"Look," she hissed, jabbing a finger away from her. He followed her index finger, expecting to see Theo preparing to inject himself with the drug. Instead the bloke turned and threw the damn bottle, letting it shatter off in the distance on a rock. Draco frowned, his arms slackening. That wasn't what he expected.
"What is he doing?" he hissed.
"I don't know," she whispered, letting go of him for the first time. Theo was gripping his hair now, pacing the space in front of them. "But I intend to find out."
A/n: Hello, hello! I apologize for the long delay, I wrote this chapter six times before I wrote a version I actually liked. Hopefully this chapter was worth the long wait and least. Let me know what you think! The next chapter will include more personal Dramione moments.