The journey up toward the castle was a quiet one. Hermione and the others barely spoke to each other as they rode in one of the carriages up the stony path to the winged gates. They didn't need to. Hermione was grateful enough that they were just there, supporting her. With friends like these…she knew that could pull through. Just.
But there was one person missing. A person who, no doubt, probably wouldn't be accepted into her group of Gryffindor friends even though he was suffering just the same as she was. She thought about him now, and suppressed the urge to cry again. She touched the dried tears on her cheeks with her fingertips. How many times had she cried in the past few months? It was easy to lose count. She had lost herself completely so many times, sometimes in anger, sometimes in fear, sometimes in anguish and sometimes for no reason at all…though the last one probably had something to do with the fact she had Draco to lean on. A shoulder to cry on. Someone to lie with at night and know that they loved her. It was more than she could have ever dreamed of, that kind of protection, that kind of feeling when you know that someone out there would do anything for you…
Just like Narcissa is risking her own life to keep you safe her mind subconsciously thought. She thought of how, when she had seen her for the first time – at the Quidditch World Cup, no less – with her husband and son, she had thought that she was a prejudiced, haughty, aristocratic woman with no thought for anything else except her own image and her own reputation. But, that had changed the second – or really, third – time Hermione had seen her. Just last year, when she had accompanied her son to Diagon Alley, and he had complained that she was being overprotective…Hermione resisted the urge to smile when she thought of this memory. Of course, it hadn't been a particularly good experience – Draco had called her a Mudblood (as he had usually done up until now for the past six years she had known him) and then proceeded to antagonize Harry and Ron. But just the notion that she had had the good in her to want to protect Draco from danger, even if she had been haughty and aristocratic then, was enough to make Hermione realise that she wasn't really that bad. Just a devoted mother, wanting to protect her only child.
Before she knew it, the carriage had stopped in line with the others in front of the great oak doors of the castle. Orange light from the torches spilled out of the windows and illuminated the darkening evening. The chatter and laughter of students as they disembarked the carriages filled the air in seconds. Hermione, following the others, climbed out, pulling her trunk and Crookshank's cage along behind her. They filed out into the jostling crowds of students as they made their way toward the main entrance. Hermione scanned the close-knit groups of youths, hoping to spot Draco. But she couldn't see him. He wouldn't want to risk people seeing him with Anielle, anyway. She just hoped that the two of them would be waiting for her in the Heads' Common Room, just like last time, when he had 'borrowed' Harry's Invisibility Cloak and sneaked up on her from behind. She was still wondering how he managed to steal it – ahem, borrowit – from Gryffindor Tower.
Hermione allowed herself to be led up the marble steps to the entrance. Her trunk was heavy, and for the first time did Hermione realise how tired she was. It must have only been around five o'clock, six at the latest, but her eyelids were heavy. She couldn't wait to get up to the Common Room, lie down the bed and sleep…especially if Draco was with her. She blushed at that thought, her cheeks going rosy in the evening light. Hopefully no one would spot her red face, most of all Harry, Ron or Ginny. Well, not so much Ginny. But Harry or Ron would probably curl up and die on the spot if they knew what was going on inside her head. It was at times like these that she was lucky Harry was so bad at Occlumency and Legilimency alike.
The feast passed quickly, with nothing much new being said from Professor McGonagall, just the unusual announcements; the Forbidden Forest was out of bounds, reminders that Filch had added yet another rule to the very, very long list outside his office, Gryffindor were to face Hufflepuff in the upcoming Quidditch semi-finals…more of the same, really. She ate hungrily, not really realising that she was famished until the food appeared in front of her. Ron almost swallowed his portion of roast beef whole, and Hermione resisted the urge to kick him, hard, on the shin under the table.
But, despite being in the company of friends, housemates, and good food, her heart still longed to be with Draco again. She couldn't wait until she saw him, to make sure that he was still alive and well…and to see if he was coping. Narcissa had sent her warning to him, too. She wanted to know if he was dealing with it as badly as Hermione clearly was.
"Goodnight, you two" she told Harry and Ron as she made for the Grand West Staircase that led her to the Heads' Common Room. She smiled at them, taking two steps up the glimmering marble stairs.
"G'night, Hermione" Ron replied.
"Yeah, goodnight, Hermione" came Harry's answer. They started east, toward the curving staircase that bent northward once it reached the second floor.
She turned and made her way up the stairs. She only reached the fifth step when she wheeled back round, and raced down the steps after them.
"Wait!" she called. They turned around just as they were heading for the corner.
She caught up with them, and looked into their eyes for a moment; then she smiled, and flung her arms tightly around the two boys. Their eyes widened in alarm.
"You're really great friends, you know that" she said, her voice muffled in the two boys' robes. "I mean it. I don't deserve you two being so nice". She squeezed them tighter. They returned her embrace warmly.
"It's okay, Hermione" Harry was almost laughing "I mean that. It is going to be okay". Hermione nodded into Harry's chest, and then pulled away.
"I've got to wait for Draco" she said quietly. Harry and Ron nodded in understanding.
"Night" Ron said. Then they both turned and walked away. Hermione followed suit, and once again ascended the Grand Staircase that would take her, hopefully, to the love of her life and their beautiful daughter.
A/N: So so so so sorry for the HUGMUNGOUS delay in updates....I've been up to my eyeballs in studying and schoolwork and just haven't found the time to get a new chatper penned...until now! Hope you enjoyed it - there's more to come! Don't forget to review! Much love xx
