CHAPTER 25
Thursday, it seemed, had gone a little too fast for Draco. He really did not do much that day. He attended all the classes, sat in the Great Hall for breakfast, lunch and dinner, practice Quidditch with his team and sleep. And then thee was Hermione. It seemed she had finally accepted the fact that he would be going on the mission no matter what. But then that acceptance had come with the know-it-all side of Hermione. She had taken to finding Draco after every class or really anytime she was free and question him about hexes and curses. In the beginning it had been kind of fun, seeing Hermione run to him to talk, but after a long double period in the dungeons, it was hard to put up with all the questioning. And worse was when she had pestered him into falling asleep cause "being drowsy tomorrow is not gonna help you tomorrow, Draco." He really felt like a child being scolded by his mother cause he was up past his bed time.
5th September
It was the afternoon lunch. The students in the Great Hall were busy munching down food, chatting and laughing. Well most of them anyway.
Blaise, a very uncomfortable Blaise, sat at the Slytherin table beside his best friend who looked just as uneasy as him. Blaise had barely touched his food, for he was afraid he would vomit it right out. Really it would be absolutely ridiculous of anybody to expect him to be brave at the Gryffindor girlfriend was also scared and she was not the one going on the mission. Really, he was shit scared. He was really too young to die and for sure Dumbledore wouldn't let him die, right? But Cedric Diggory had died. At the same age of seventeen. In the protection of Dumbledore himself. Perhaps, he should ask his best friend to start writing his obituary. But then again, even his best friend was going on the mission. Hmm, maybe he ask Hermione. She was definitely smart and had a way with words. Then, get obituary written by Hermione Malfoy was in the second position on his things to do before I die list.
Beside Blaise, Draco Malfoy sat in his usual way. And really in a glance you would believe he was sitting like he usually did. But only on closer inspection would one realise that he sat just a bit more upright, held his spoon a little more tightly, ate nothing from the plate. Draco was a master i the art of deception and he knew that well enough. When any of the Slytherins would turn towards him, he would give them a smirk and send a scowl towards those star struck fan girls. But there were a particular pair of eyes that had been staring towards him for the entire lunch and he could not bring himself to stare back. It was obvious that Hermione would start fretting over him if he showed a small sign of fear or ill health. He had always been jealous of the way she would fret over Potter and Weasley but now that he had experienced it too, well lets just say, he wasn't so jealous anymore. He wondered if their children would even be allowed to step outside home before they turned eleven. Wait a second, Kids? He really needed to clear his mind now. Children. Like that would happen. And so he chanted continuously 'Concentrate on the mission', trying his best to not think of blond kids or Hermione with a baby bump.
Ginny Weasley hated being on the sidelines. All her life she was ordered to stay inside when her brothers would play Quidditch outside or not allowed to listen in on Order meeting or not allowed to listen in on the Golden Trio's plans. And now the mission. The mission her boyfriend would not tell her about. She really wondered what she would have to do for everybody to realise that she was not a little kid anymore. She was sixteen. Sixteen. A very big age in the wizarding world. All through lunch her eyes would revert back to where her boyfriend sat. It really seemed he was not scared at all. She turned back to Dennis, slightly nodded to indicate she was listening to him (she really wasn't) and continued to eat. Maybe Blaise would atleast meet her before leaving.
Hermione Granger was willing to help any and everybody, no matter what. And sometimes she was also willing to shove help down other people's throats. Her best friend Harry Potter knew that. And the way she seemed to spend all of yesterday with Malfoy told him exactly who she was forcefully helping this time. He had got to know that Malfoy and Zabini were going on a mission for the Order and he also had concerns about that. But Dumbledore had made him understand that Draco had willingly taken that mission and would see to it that Blaise or Draco were unharmed by the end of the mission. Now if somebody would ensure that Hermione would understand it.
Hermione Malfoy was irritated. She was in fact more than just irritated with the person she called her husband. All through lunch she had stared straight at Draco, refraining from starting a conversation with her friends or marching straight upto said husband to give him a piece of her mind. Really, he did not even turn towards her. Not even a nod or a yes Hermione I can feel you staring at me. Nothing. Nada. She ate nothing and just pushed her food around on the plate (but if you ask Ron he would tell you she was killing her food, butchering it). But then when lunch was ending she saw Professor Snape head towards Draco and Blaise, whisper something and the three men made their way out of the Great Hall. She saw Blaise turn and smile towards both her and Ginny but not Draco. He did not so much as turn towards her forget about smiling. Suddenly all she wanted was to go to bed and sleep.