SEVEN
Saturday, 3 October 2020
Hermione knew as soon as Anna-Beth Moor took a Beater to the ribs, the game was won. The sight had made her cringe, but she knew Madam Pomfrey would have her back to normal in no time. Besides, with the Gryffindor's roaring from the stands, it was hard for her to focus on anything else. She knew what a victory meant too. That she was going to spend a majority of her day in Gryffindor Tower helping prep for a party later that evening. One that her dormmate immediately started begging to attend with her as soon as she walked through the door.
"You didn't even go to the game," she protested, scowling at him.
"I had detention," he mumbled.
She rolled her eyes as she unwound her scarf and made her way towards her room. "Even more reason you shouldn't go."
"Oh come on, you know that's not going to stop me," he said, lounging against her doorframe as she went about her room.
"Did you get hit in the head with a cauldron?" she fired back. "Because you seem awfully delusional if you think-"
"Listen, Granger," he interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can either invite me along so that when I show up later, no one throws a fit, or you can tell me what I interrupted between you and a certain professor the other night."
Hermione stiffened at that.
Neither of them had discussed their little fight while on patrol or what Draco may or may not have witnessed when he came back to yell at her. She had simply put it from her mind and refused to acknowledge that it had happened. Which had been a feat considering she could feel Draco watching her and Riddle whenever they were in a room together. As if he were trying to solve an invisible puzzle.
With a huff, she shrugged her shoulders and turned away from him. "Fine, if asked, say I invited you," she said after a moment. "But I'm not arriving with you."
He clucked his tongue at her; a wicked smirk spreading across his lips. "That's the fastest I've ever seen you cave, Granger."
She bit her tongue, refusing to let him goad her into saying something. He had nothing but a hunch and she was determined not to confirm it.
"Alright, keep your secrets. I'll see you tonight," he said before taking off from the dorm all together.
Alone, Hermione inhaled deeply and held it, using that moment to gather her wits before returning to the task at hand. Since she was going to be away from her quarters for the rest of the day, she decided to bring her things with her. Not that she really had any hope she'd be able to do any of her homework, she at least wanted the option.
And after a few more moments to enjoy the silence, she left.
"So you and Malfoy, huh?"
Hermione nearly spit her drink out through her nose at Ginny's question. She wiped at her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt and glared at the younger witch as she plopped herself down next to Hermione.
"What in Merlin's name makes you think that?"
The glimmer in the blue of Ginny's eyes made Hermione instantly regret having asked, but it was far too late to take it back now. Instead, she had to sit there and listen to all of Ginny's theories about her dating life.
"Well, for starters, we all knew it was bound to happen. No one that banters that much can resist each other forever," she started, a wicked grin on her lips. "And putting the two of you in a shared space seems to have sped up the process. He hasn't been able to take his eyes off of you at all this week."
"Ginny-"
"And then today, he shows up at a party because you invited him," she interrupted, her grin widening significantly. "Do you realize that in all the years I've known you, you've never invited anyone to anything?"
Hermione sighed, realizing that it was compelling evidence. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing hysterically though. If people were thinking there was something going on between her and Draco it meant they hadn't the slightest idea that something had ever happened with her and Professor Riddle.
"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up, Ginny."
"Oh no, if one of us is going to be right, it'll be me," she returned, taking a sip of her drink. "Besides, I think he'll be asking you out sooner rather than later."
Hermione stiffened at that. "What makes you say that?"
"Why else would a bloke spend so much time with your best friend? I'm sure he and Harry are planning something since they're always together."
It was as if something clicked in her brain. Hermione thought back to the previous year where Draco started coming around to pester both her and Harry more and more. Especially this year. How it had only been a month and already she had found the pair together when she wasn't around. There were even times that Harry visited her dorm that made her think he hadn't even shown up for her.
Her eyes scanned the room. "And just where is my soon-to-be-boyfriend?" she asked.
"Harry took him upstairs to show him something. They said they'd be right back down," Ginny answered, nudging Hermione with her elbow. "I wonder what they could be discussing?" she added, winking before getting to her feet.
Hermione snorted and shook her head as she thought about it a little more. And sure enough, it wasn't long before the pair emerged from the boys' dormitory.
Suddenly, Draco's appearance at the Pitch made a lot more sense.
Throughout the rest of the night, Hermione kept a close eye on her friend and dormmate. She watched for any little sign that would confirm her suspicions. She even wracked her brain trying to recall just how long the signs had been there. For the most part, however, Draco and Harry never really crossed paths again. Not unless she was already standing with the other. In fact, Draco hadn't even said more than two words to her since showing up earlier that evening.
When the party started to die down, she saw Harry and Ginny standing in front of Draco slumped over in a chair. "He can stay here if he can't walk back to his dorm," Harry suggested.
"That might be alright with us, but it won't be for the rest of the house," Ginny returned.
"I can walk," he mumbled, attempting to push himself to his feet. He failed at the first attempt, nearly slipping and falling flat on his face, but he caught himself and tried again. Hermione, having moved to stand at Harry's other side, was closest and moved to him. His arm slid across her shoulders as she hugged one around his back. "See? Granger's got me."
"Of course she does," Ginny said with a wink before leaving up to her own dorm for the night.
"I can help if you need," Harry offered, rubbing at the back of his neck, his green eyes glazed over.
"It's already after curfew," Hermione stated, adjusting so that she could support Draco a bit better. "This way, you don't have to sneak back on your own. I'll be fine," she said, rushing the last bit when Harry's lips parted to protest.
He sighed and gave her a small smile before walking in front of them to help her get Draco through the portrait. "Just be careful," Harry said as she gave Draco one last adjustment.
"Get some rest, Harry. I'll see you at breakfast."
And with that, they began their slow and careful trek back down to their own dorm.
She tried to move away a few times, when it seemed that he might be able to stand on his own. But Draco proved her wrong fairly quickly by not even being able to support his own weight.
"Merlin, what did you do?" she asked, pulling him off the fifth floor landing while they waited for the next set of stairs to move back into place. "Drink the entire stash of Butterbeer?"
"Someone had to drink your fair share," he teased, stumbling in a way that made Hermione nearly lose her footing too.
"I think you drank everyone's share," she mumbled.
"It tasted good."
"Is that why you wanted me to invite you?" she asked, pulling him onto the stairs when they slid into place. "Because the stash of top shelf liquor under your bed isn't as good as Butterbeer from Hogsmeade?"
"Well it certainly wasn't for the company."
Hermione looked up then with narrowed eyes, pausing in the middle of the staircase. "You said all of two words to me the entire time you were there."
"Because you spent most of your time sitting there, staring at your bag," he argued, pulling out of her grasp. "Only a swot would rather do homework than socialize."
Hermione pursed her lips together, refusing to cater to whatever it was he was trying to do. But when she moved to resume her position at his side, he pulled away again, using the railing to stay upright. So she shrugged and hurried down to the landing. She meant to keep moving, to just leave him be and go back to her dorm, but she stayed at the bottom, waiting to make sure he made it in one piece.
"How people think we would ever work as a couple is beyond me."
The laugh that left his lips made Hermione scowl.
"Who on earth would think that?"
"The blind ones, apparently," she muttered, narrowing her eyes. "Clearly someone like you would never be interested in someone like me. I'm sure your father would never approve anyway."
She saw the look of pure shock on his face before she turned and hurried down the next staircase.
"Granger- Wait!"
She paused at the bottom and waited, but refused to look up at him when he managed to catch up to her side.
"My lack of interest in you that way has nothing to do with...that," he said, the confidence in his voice making her look up. A smirk tipped his lips as he shrugged. "Besides, there are other things that would rile my father up more than you."
Like you and Harry?
She bit her tongue instead of letting the words slip past her lips.
"So I'm sorry if you feel that way about me, but I-"
Hermione's laugh echoed through the empty castle halls. "You think I'm interested in you?"
His eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why else would you bring any of this up?"
"I didn't!" she argued. "I just made a stupid little comment and-" She stopped herself to take a deep breath and roll her shoulders. "Can we just get back to the dorm, please?"
Draco studied her for a moment before giving a nod and beginning to move. But as he took a step, the staircase moved. Hermione reached for him, yanking him back just in time. She stumbled on her feet, yet was able to stay on her feet. It was Draco, however, that fell to the ground. And when Hermione bent down to check on him, his eyes were closed.
"Is he alright?"
Hermione looked back over her shoulder to see Riddle walking briskly towards them.
She nodded as he crouched on Draco's other side, facing her. "I think he just passed out."
"He might have hit his head. We should-"
"He's drunk," she blurted, her cheeks warming at the way he looked at her. "I'm not," she assured him. "I learned my lesson."
Silence rose along with the tension between them, causing them both to look away from one another. Riddle was the first to break it with a sigh, pushing himself up to stand tall once more. He reached for his wand somewhere within his robes and cast a silent spell, lifting Draco from the ground.
"Come on, I'll get him back to your dorm."
Hermione nodded and led the way, looking over her shoulder once to see Draco floating in their wake. Once she gave her password to enter the dorm, she stepped aside, letting Professor Riddle and Draco in first. "This way," she breathed, nodding towards Draco's room. She followed them inside and once Riddle lowered Draco onto the bed, Hermione removed his shoes and drew the blanket over him. She then summoned a small bin and set it down next to the bed.
"Should I summon a Sober Up?" Riddle asked as he followed her out into the shared common space of the dorm.
Hermione shook her head as she glanced over his shoulder towards Draco's slightly cracked door. "Oh no, he deserves the headache he's going to have when he wakes up."
Riddle's gaze narrowed as it drifted up and down the length of her. "Did he do something to you?"
Hermione was quite surprised by the anger in his tone. "N-no," she replied, shaking her head again. "I mean, he's always a pain, but he didn't…" She paused to take a deep breath and offer a small smile. "I'm fine, Professor. Thank you for helping me get him back here." Her smile widened as she tilted her head to the side. "And for not giving either of us detention for being out past curfew?"
She was happy to see the corners of his lips twitch as she spoke. "No detention," he said. "But if it happens again, I'll have no choice. The two of you should be setting a better example for the student body, Miss Granger."
Hermione took a step forward as she asked, "What has you awake and wandering the castle so late, Professor?"
He held his ground as she took another; his gaze sizing her up. "For one, as a staff member, one of my privileges is that I get to move around the castle as I please," he said, his grin never wavering. "But I often find a stroll through these drafty halls helps to clear my head when sleep seems determined to evade me."
"Why not a potion?"
She was close enough now that she could see the apple of his throat bob when he swallowed; his eyes darkening a shade. "Sometimes, Miss Granger, magic isn't always the answer," he said, his voice low. "A potion only amplifies that which I try to forget."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. "Then perhaps you weren't meant to forget whatever it is that keeps you up at night."
He shifted his stance, putting them close enough to feel each other's heat without touching. His eyes were dark as storm clouds, burning into hers as their breathing ran shallow.
"I should go," he whispered, his breath fanning over her face. "Before either of us does something we'd regret."
She wanted to tell him that she hadn't been able to forget either. That if he made a move now, she would never regret it. Instead, she pressed her lips together, forcing the words to die on her tongue.
"Goodnight, Miss Granger," he breathed, stepping around her to take his leave of the dorm.
Hermione stayed put until she heard the door clicking into place again. Only then did she turn around and inhale deeply. A small part of her felt defeat, but a larger part was somewhat happy to know she wasn't the only one struggling. But, as much as she wanted to be the one to make the first move, she knew it had to be mutual. If it wasn't, whatever bit of companionship they did have would be gone forever.
So until he decided he couldn't deny whatever it was between them, she would keep it to herself.
Even if it hurt.
A/N: Yesterday I finished up my 4th manuscript after 2.5 months of writing! It's got a ways to go with rest, editing, and revisions, but at least it's drafted! To celebrate...here's another chapter!
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