Chapter 14: What Happens in Hogsmeade

O-o-o-o-o-o-o

The days went by slowly in the dungeons, Hermione and Draco barely speaking at this point. Hermione was tired of the hot and cold act, and Draco was back to his normal brooding. It was like the summer all over again, only without the library to escape to while Lucius was out of the house.

Another week had probably gone by when Wormtail popped into the room with another backpack. He dropped it on the ground along with their plates of bread and went about his candle process before disapparating again.

Hermione walked over and grabbed the food, bringing one plate over to Draco and setting it next to him without a word. He nodded in acceptance, their eyes locking for a brief moment, sending chills down her spine, before she turned and walked back over to her corner.

After another couple of hours Hermione couldn't take it anymore, "Aren't you going to see what's in the backpack?"

"I will eventually," he responded, his tone emotionless.

"Aren't you curious at all?" she prodded.

"Can't be more exciting than a new blanket," he sighed, still unmoving.

Hermione rolled her eyes, returning her gaze to the book of fables, which she had now read twice through.

Another hour went by before Draco finally got up and walked over to the backpack. He dumped its contents on the ground and picked up the note from his mother.

Draco,

I hope that you are well. You'll find parchment and a quill in the backpack, I made a deal with Peter so that he would agree to allow you to write me a quick note that he will deliver. Is there anything small I can send that would make your stay more comfortable? Hope the story book has kept you busy. I sent the house elf out to buy a new book for you, so you will also find enclosed a book on magical creatures. Thought there was a great section in there on Hinkypunks you would be interested in.

Love,

Narcissa

Draco folded the note and put it in his pocket. He looked over at Hermione, who was watching him, and threw her a fresh set of robes. Draco picked up the new book his mother had sent them, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, flipping to the back cover where a photo of a wizard named Newt Scamander kept flashing a sheepish smile. He grabbed the quill and parchment as well and made his way back to his seat against the wall, setting the parchment down beside him to think about the note he wanted to write back.

He flipped open the new book, relieved to have something new to focus on.

Hermione threw on the new robes, glancing over at Draco who had already opened up a new book his mother must have sent him. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, every day felt like a lifetime with him across the room.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o

"So what's your plan here, mate?" Blaise asked as he and Lucius made their way up from the dungeons to the entrance hall.

"Just going to go for a nice walk in Hogsmeade," Lucius responded nonchalantly.

"I just want to make sure you haven't gone daft," Blaise tried to catch his eye as they walked, "You couldn't possibly be thinking of getting back together with her."

"Of course not," Lucius drawled, "But I've already told her I'll go, haven't I? So I'll go and we'll have a stroll and then we'll come back and it'll be over." Wouldn't it be nice if this whole boyish game could just be over, Lucius thought to himself.

"Well, I'll be in the three Broomsticks with the new Quidditch recruits if you want to ditch her and meet us there," Blaise shook his head, scanning the hall and spotting their friends, "See you later."

Lucius spotted Pansy across the hall as well and made his way over to her. She was standing very seductively and batting her eyelashes at him. To the right a few steps were some of her friends, who were all whispering as they watched Lucius walk up to her.

"Shall we go?" he asked.

"Good to see you, Draco," she smiled, grabbing his arm, although he hadn't offered it to her, and letting him lead the way out the front door.

"How have you been?" she looked sideways at him, trying to appear as confident as she could.

"I'm not one for small talk," Lucius said, "What is it you'd like to discuss today?"

"Well, Draco, I overheard my father talking to Mr. Nott about how you were mixed up in some stuff this summer at those meetings. I had no idea you'd been invited to the meetings already and I know I didn't make your summer any easier, but I want you to know you can talk to me and I hope eventually we can move past what happened and give things another go," there it was, she had laid it all out there.

"I think you can put hopes of our future together to the side for now," Lucius said, he did like Pansy and the Parkinson family so he didn't want to discourage the girl forever if she and Draco came to an understanding in the future… if Draco even made it back from where he was right now and found a way to make amends with the Death Eaters, that is, "What do you know about what happened this summer?" he asked, curious what had gotten out from their meetings.

"I hope one day you'll reconsider our future together, Draco, I think you and I made a great team," she looked back ahead, gathering herself for a sense of normalcy, "I didn't hear much from my father, they were talking in low voices, but I heard they had planned your initiation and… and that you didn't get through it."

"Anything else?" Lucius prodded.

"They wanted you to kill a muggle," she said quietly, looking around them.

Lucius frowned, "Your father should be much more careful about what he says away from the meetings. It was, hopefully, just a momentary lack of judgment, what happened. One day there should be another opportunity to prove myself."

They were entering Hogsmeade now, the trees around the village filled with autumn colors.

More Hogwarts students were approaching the village, which was bustling with shoppers wandering about the streets.

"We can talk more about this somewhere private, maybe at lunch," Pansy said, acknowledging the growing presence of ears around them, but not ready to be done with the conversation, "I need to look for a gift for my father's birthday, would you mind helping me until then?"

"Sure," Lucius conceded, following her into the crowd.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Hermione, is that Malfoy with Pansy?" Ginny pulled at Bellatrix's sleeve and whispered in her ear as the boys went on about Quidditch practice.

"Yes, I'm sure they're just friends," Bellatrix said, internally cursing Lucius for his indiscretion.

"I thought they'd been dating last year? She's holding his arm."

"I'm sure it's not what it looks like," Bellatrix said again.

"I don't know, I don't trust Malfoy. If you don't say something to him, I'm going to."

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to him later."

Ginny shook her head, but dropped the discussion.

"Hermione, I wanted to show you this set of quidditch gear I've been saving up for, get your opinion," Ron smiled at Bellatrix.

"Sure," she replied, following Ron into Dervish and Banges to get herself away from Ginny.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o

The morning wore on as Lucius accompanied Pansy through the stores, helping her pick out a gift for her father, who he knew quite well. They finally stepped into the Three Broomsticks for lunch in the early afternoon, settling into a secluded table in the back.

"This has been so nice, Draco," Pansy tilted her head at him, a hopeful smile on her lips.

"I wanted to hear you out," Lucius nodded his head, "but this doesn't change anything."

The witch waiting tables passed by their table, "Anything to drink, dears?"

"Two butterbeers, please," Lucius said, waving her off.

"Just happy to be here with you," Pansy winked at him, grabbing her menu, "Feels like a step."

Lucius looked up as the door to the Three Broomsticks opened, Bellatrix was walking in with Harry and the two Weasleys. He brought his menu up over his face to hide himself as they settled into a table at the front of the restaurant.

"Hermione, that's Pansy over in the corner, I bet she's with Malfoy," Ginny prodded her as they sat down.

Hermione pushed her hand away, "It's fine," she hissed back.

The group ordered their drinks and the Ginny started telling them about the OWL work she'd been given so far this year.

"-and you wouldn't believe what Snape has assigned," she rolled her eyes, "36 inches on the pepperup potion! I mean between all of -" out of the corner of her eye she had caught Pansy moving her hand to the table to grab Draco's, who was fully in sight now, they'd been deep in conversation for a while.

"Oh no you do not," Ginny said, standing up and walking to the back corner.

"Gin-" Hermione started, questioningly before she spotted Lucius at the table and Pansy's hand on his.

Lucius pulled his hand away almost instantly, "Pansy, you know I am not looking for -" he was cut off by the Weasley girl storming up to their table, "I KNEW you could never change, Malfoy. How DARE you do this to Hermione, she's RIGHT over THERE."

"Draco, what in the world is going on," Pansy looked at him incredulously.

Bellatrix jumped up, "Oh bullocks," she said under her breath, "Ginny, DON'T!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A/N: Happy Friday, readers! Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed! More Draco/Hermione content to come! As a fun fact, I just spent 2 weeks in Europe, ending in London to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts 1 and 2)! It was an amazing experience, even moreso than I had expected! I hope everyone gets a chance to see it eventually :)