Chapter Twenty-one

The amulet

Draco was on the train with his friends, going back to Hogwarts.

They'd just sat down together in the same compartment. Theo was talking to Gregory and Blaise about what they'd done over the Christmas break. Pansy, who was sitting next to him, leaned closer and glanced at the three boys in front of them, making sure they weren't listening.

"How was your stay with your parents?" she asked in a low voice.

Draco looked at her and snorted quietly. He didn't want to remember the holidays, spending time with his bloody family.

"Good... maybe better than I expected."

"Do you feel better about them now? Will the mermaid leave you alone?" Her friend whispered.

He shrugged.

"I don't know, I still feel like shit."

Pansy sighed and gave him a worried look.

"I wish I could help you, Draco ... but I don't know if there's anything I can do for you."

Draco smirked.

"Don't worry. I'll find a way to fix this, as always."

"Maybe it's not just because of your parents ... you've never felt good, and everything about the war affected you a lot. Do you think you are happy?"

He groaned. It was too much to ask that she didn't start saying bullshit.

"Don't ask me that shit, Pansy. Only idiots are happy, the rest of us have too many issues to waste time thinking about happiness."

Pansy made a face.

"I think that answers my question."

Draco gave her a venomous look and she rolled her eyes.

"I know you're not going to listen to me, but I think the mermaid will leave you alone if you can be happy and stop feeling so bad about yourself."

"Stop talking nonsense."

She sighed again and turned her head to look at the compartment door. A group of girls wearing Gryffindor uniforms was passing by, looking for vacant seats.

Draco looked up and his grey eyes met a pair of brown irises he knew quite well. Hermione gave him a smile and continued walking behind her friends.

Pansy looked back at her friend, leaning her elbows on the table thoughtfully.

Either Draco thought she was stupid, or he was a fool who didn't realise anything ... because that little look they had just shared hadn't been normal at all.

They didn't speak again until the train stopped at the Hogsmeade station and they all got out, heading for the street where the carriages were waiting.

Draco glared at the thestrals and entered the carriage with his friends.

He hated seeing them. He always remembered that it was because he saw Dumbledore's death.

Hermione arrived first to Arithmancy class the next day, sitting on her desk and putting the huge book on the table.

She took out the small necklace she was wearing and held it between her fingers, gazing at the rune in silence. She knew exactly what it meant, but she wasn't sure if Draco had taken it into account when he bought it for her.

"Nice necklace, whoever gave it to you has good taste."

Hermione looked up and found Draco next to her with a grin on his lips.

"Yes, it's beautiful" she said, smiling back at him.

"Is it a gift?"

"Yes, from a special friend."

"A special friend? Well, that sounds great" he murmured, raising his eyebrows.

She looked away, her eyes on the small silver rune again.

"Do you know what it means, Draco?"

"Of course. You should know by now that I'm as good a student as you."

Hermione fixed her brown eyes on his.

"And why did you give me a rune that means light?" she asked quietly.

He looked around the class, a lot of students were there and the room was already half full.

"Don't look for a hidden meaning because you won't find one. I saw it and it reminded me of you, nothing else."

"Was it the only rune in the shop?" Hermione murmured, raising an eyebrow.

"There were two more, but I didn't like them. This one suits you better."

"Why?"

He gave her a sideways glance, answering in a very low voice.

"Because you are like the light. A little know-it-all who is everywhere, making it impossible not to see you."

Hermione frowned and nudged him, making him laugh.

"You're such an idiot" she growled through her teeth.

Draco was still snickering when the professor started to speak.

They were silent for two hours. Once the lesson ended, he stood up to follow his friends, but someone pulled his robe. Draco turned around and saw that Hermione was grabbing him by one of the sleeves.

"Wait, I have something for you" she whispered.

He sat down again, frowning.

"You don't have to give me anything, Hermione."

"I want to."

Hermione pulled something out of her pocket and took one of his arms, lifting the sleeve a little. She tied on his wrist something similar to a bracelet, with blue stones.

"What is this?" he asked, looking at the strange thing with a frown.

"It has a spell made by me. It's supposed to be an amulet that will protect your mind... but I really don't know if it will work against the mermaid."

Draco lifted both eyebrows in surprise.

"Do you know how to make protective amulets?"

"No, it's the first time I've made one. I found a book about them at the Weasleys'... and in one of the Diagon Alley shops I saw the stones it needed."

A twisted smile curved his lips, which made Hermione very nervous.

"But... but I don't know if it will help" she stammered.

Draco looked around, making sure they were alone in the classroom. He moved closer and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"Thank you. I hope I won't need it, though."

Hermione smiled, blushing.

"You are welcome. I also hope the mermaid doesn't bother you again."

Draco rolled the sleeve down again, hiding the bluish bracelet. The two of them stood up and walked out of the class together, heading down the stairs to the Great Hall.

"Do you want to meet me later?" he whispered, just as they were about to walk through the huge doors.

"Okay."

"I'll be waiting for you in the passage" Draco breathed close to her ear, walking away towards the Slytherin table.

Hermione sighed and continued on her way, until she sat next to Ginny and Luna.

"Did you give it to him?" Luna asked with a smile.

Hermione nodded.

"He's wearing it, I hope it protects him."

"My father says those amulets always work" Luna murmured.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I'm not so sure... but there's no harm in trying."

Hermione made a face, serving food on her plate.

They changed the subject, talking about the next Quidditch match with Harry and Ron. There was a week left for the Ravenclaw versus Slytherin match.

Half an hour later, Hermione saw out of the corner of her eye a blond boy standing up and leaving the Great Hall all alone. Once he was out of sight, she stood up and said goodbye to her friends.

"Are you going with him?" Luna asked in a whisper.

She just nodded and her blonde friend sighed.

"I'm scared, Hermione... you're falling hard for him and I think Malfoy doesn't want to move forward."

Ginny covered her mouth with one hand.

"Don't say his name!" The redhead murmured in a low voice.

Luna rolled her eyes, pushing her friend's hand away.

"No one is paying attention to us."

Hermione clenched her jaw and sighed.

"I know, Luna... but I can't get away from him now. It's too late."

She left the Great Hall without another word.

Ginny and Luna shared a look.

"I'm sure he feels the same way, but he doesn't want to admit it. If you had seen them, Luna... I was watching them through the window when he came to the Burrow, he looks at her in a way... I think he loves her, but he still doesn't know it."

"Or he doesn't want to accept it. That boy is so cold and this is all going to end very badly. I don't want Hermione to suffer" Luna murmured with concern.

"It's complicated. If they start dating, his whole house would turn their backs on him... and his family too" Ginny said, snorting in annoyance.

"Why do people care so much about what others think? I don't care at all, I always do what I want and I don't listen to what they say about me" Luna muttered.

Ginny smiled.

"That's because you are very brave, you always have been. We have to make him admit his feelings for Hermione... but that's going to be quite difficult."

"I think that's impossible" Luna agreed with a sigh.

Harry and Ron weren't talking anymore and they were listening to the girls' conversation.

"I still can't believe Hermione cares about Malfoy" Harry muttered through clenched teeth.

Ginny and Luna looked at them with surprise.

"Do you guys know?"

"Of course, she told us weeks ago" Ron admitted.

"And it doesn't bother you?" Luna asked him.

"Not at all. I'm happy with Marissa, so if she wants to be with stupid Malfoy ... then I'm happy for her" Ron murmured, shrugging.

"Maybe we can do something to make him react" Harry said, stroking his chin with one hand.

"You spent so much time with George this summer and it has affected you" Luna commented, giggling.

Harry looked at her with mischievous eyes and winked, making her laugh harder.

"What are you thinking of?" Ginny asked curiously.

Harry gave her a big smile.

"I'll tell you soon, but first I want to check if what you're saying is true and Malfoy has feelings for her" he whispered, biting his lower lip.

"What are you going to do?" Ron said, nudging his friend.

He raised both eyebrows several times and stood up, zipping his mouth shut. Ron and the two girls rolled their eyes, but they also got on their feet and walked out of the Great Hall next to him.

"Will you help me with my plan?" Harry asked quietly, getting very close to Ginny.

The red-haired girl cocked her head and smiled.

"Of course. You can count on me."

14 more chapters to go!