[Chapter Eight]
Hermione fidgeted with her hands as she watched Josh Selwyn walk out of the library. She hadn't been able to talk to him and now was a chance to do the talk.
"Ron, Harry", she adressed her best friends who were seated besides her in the library, "I will be back in a moment."
"Where are you going?", asked Ron looking up from his essay, he had been trying to write for the past one hour.
"I- I need to go fetch a book from my dormitory. I will be back", saying that she stood up and walked before either of them could ask any further questions.
She knew if she told them that she was going to talk to the brunnette slytherin, they would insist upon accompanying her, and she needed to speak to him by herself.
She watched Josh turn a corner and hurried ahead to catch up with him. When he was within hearing range, she called out,
"Josh"
The slytherin turned to face her upon hearing her voice, his face immediately leaving any trace of the smirk he was carrying.
"Hermione", he spoke and his eyes were full of dread and anticipation. Out of what, she didn't know.
"I was hoping to talk to you.", she said coming to a halt and standing in front of him.
He nodded twice, and she shifted from one leg to other, not knowing where to start.
She was spared on the act of initiating the conversation when Josh started blurting out explanations,
"Hermione I know that I may not sound the most convincing but please believe me, I had no idea about the death eaters. I have no idea what made me come to you and say that but I don't remember anything before I came to you. Im really sorry you had to go through that but please you have to believe me I-"
"Josh, Josh, stop.", she said halting his desparate rant. She took a deep breath. "What do you mean by you don't remember?"
"I don't know, Hermione. One moment I was walking with my friends and suddenly it was like I was moving on someone's direction and the next moment I was telling you about the shrieking shack. I went back to my friends in a daze, completely confused on why I did that. And my friends asked me why had I run and I told them that I didn't know and that's when Malfoy heard me. He had seen me run to you and you running off and when he heard me with my friends, he thought I was lying and after bringing you to the hospital wing, he hunted me down and literally dragged me out of my room. He was furious.", he finished paling slightly at the last part.
Hermione felt her face flush. Damn Malfoy and hia confusing actions. She had no idea whatsoever why he would do that.
"Im sorry about Malfoy, Josh. I don't know why he did that.", she said apologetically.
He shook his head.
"You don't need to apologise Hermione. I'd say I even deserved it. It was me because of whom you were in the hospital wing for two days."
"Nonsense Josh. He shouldn't have done that, he had no right."
"So you believe me?", he asked and hesitating just a second she nodded.
She saw no lie in his eyes, and she saw no reason why he would do that.
He gave her a relieved smile which she rerurned.
"Thank you Hermione"
"Its alright. Sorry to interrupt you, I will get going now. Thank you."
"Alright, see you around"
She watched his retreating back, lost in her thoughts untill he turned a corner and sighed before turning on her heels and walked to the library. Her mind searched feverantly for the answers, she always found an answer, and now library was no use to her. Her best theory was that someone had imperiused Josh and lured her into their trap. They were probably death eaters or blood-supremacists. But she still couldn't see any sense in this whole ordreal.
As she reached the library doors, her mind was shocked out of her trance, as she met with the most unrealistic sight. She watched bemused as Harry and Malfoy shook their hands, though a bit awkwardly but there was something among them, that looked a lot like acceptance.The blonde turned to Ron and gave him a curt nod as her red headed best friend said something. Blaise Zabini nodded at Harry and Ron and the pair of Slytherins walked to the potions section of the library while Ron and Harry went back to their seats.
Still shocked, she walked towards her best friends, who were having hushed conversation in whispers.
They sensed her approaching and immediately halted in their talk, sharing a look upon seeing her raised eyebrow.
"That was quite a sight", she said settling down to her original seat beside Harry.
"Well, since the war is done we see no reason to hold on to childish grudges", answered Ron with a shrug and Harry nodded, agreeing with him.
Hermione watch her best friend fondly, Ron had grown so mature and understanding after the war. With the burrow barely holding up, he had taken over, consoling his mother, and looking after George. Everyone had their own way of coping with the after effects of the war, for Ron, it had been looking after his bereaved family, including Harry and her. He had his own breakdowns but he never let anyone except her and Harry see him cry. He would wake up screaming at night, crying out, shouting Fred's name, calling out for her. She and Harry always made sure to be there with him, and calm him down,stay with him untill he fell asleep again. He no longer had the "emotional range" of a teaspoon, she once claimed he did. He had become a completely different Ron and she couldn't be more happy.
...
Months passed uneventfully and much to everyone's relief, normally ; there were no more attempts of attack on Hermione, the investigation of her attack had reached a dead end, with no trace of the two people, who had so
easily seemed to escape the Aurors. The investigation was still going in with no success, and Hermione hoped that attack was just one time thing. She'd had enough of watching behind her back everytime.
Hermione was content in the refreshing normalcy, with no dramas she could fully focus on her studies and upcoming N.E.W.T.S.
On a cool Friday night, she walked out of the warm Gryffindor common room, clad in a muggle jumper and denims, aimlessly walking through the familiar stone walls of the castle. She made sure to cast a silencing spell on her feet, it was past curfew and she didnt want any encounter with Filch or Mrs. Norris. The portraits slept, and snored and chatted and screamed amongst themselves while she made her way upto the tallest tower.
She walked out to the cold night breeze, the tower only enlightened by the full moon shining in the clear November sky.
She watched the grounds, the whomping willow, the still waters of the black lake, Hagrid's hut, the greenhouses.
She inhaled deeply. These landscapes held so many memories, so many moments that she cherished. Hogwarts was the place where she had finally found a sense of belonging, where she had been petrified by a Basilisk, where she had saved Harry's godfather, where she had attended a ball with a famous quidditch player, where she'd become the brightest witch of her age, where she had made wonderful friends, where she had fought a war for a cause she believed in.
No matter how many wars were fought, Hogwarts would never cease to become the place closest to her heart, after her own home.
A place where she had earned and lost,laughed and cried.
The walls of Hogwarts, although renovated after the horror of the war, there wasn't a single time she didn't flinch while passing a corridor where she'd seen bodies lying like sand on the beach. No matter the amount of renovations and magic, there was no changing of the fact that the castle had been a victim to the war, nothing was left untouched,no walls were untainted, no courtyard was unstained by the bloodshed.
"Granger", a velvety voice snapped her out of her daze and she turned around, seeing Draco Malfoy in front of her, his wand aloft in his hand and his silver eyes piercing hers. She looked away before speaking,
"Malfoy, what brings you here?"
She couldn't hold eye contact, not yet. His stares were intense and she always found him staring right at her, whenever she looked at the Slytherin table,and he didn't even look away when she caught his gaze, just kept on staring untill the intensity became too much for her and she looked away.
"I could ask you the same thing", he said his voice devoid of emotions, closed off, like always. It made her want to know just what he was hiding behind that mask of his.
She heard him walking forward, she sensed him when he stood right behind her, and she finally saw him as he came to a halt besides her. She glanced at him once, he was looking down at the grounds, his eyes giving nothing away about what was he thinking. She took her eyes off him, and joined him, watching the grounds.
That comfortable silence again, accompanied by the feeling of something that was too intense for her to figure out. Her relief when he spoke was short lived,
"Head girl out of the dormitory after curfew, where is the "stick-to-rules" Granger that I know?"
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Just because I don't get caught doesn't mean I don't break rules", she said looking at him challengingly and he responded with a smirk.
"Ooh,sneaked out for a snog in a broom closet, Granger? You're telling me you're not the pencilnecked virgin?"
Hermione scoffed at his words.
"You don't know me well to make assumptions", she replied and he hummed.
"Shagged Weasley already Granger?", his voice was suddenly cold.
She looked at him with a raised brow,
"Since when is my sex life any of your business?"
He scoffed.
"Oh so you do have a sex life? Who would've known?"
She could murder him then.
"Not everyone has a fuck buddy in your bed every day, Malfoy"
Really? That was her response?
He looked even more amused at her reply.
"Hmm, Surprised that you know so much about my sex life, Granger. Been stalking me all your life?"
"Oh how you wish Malfoy", she sneered but that did nothing to wipe that infruitating smirk off his pale face. She was saved from hearing his remark when she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye. Her head snapped back, her hair hitting his face on the process.
"The fuck Granger? Tame that monster of your hair-
He trailed off when Hermione walked towards the door, her hands instantly reaching in her pockets to grip her wand.
"Granger what happened?"
She didn't answer him, barely even heard him, she could swear there was someone near the door, but she was too late. Whoever it was had probably escaped.
"Granger-
She turned to face him, and found him scowling,
"What was that about Granger?"
"I thought I saw someone", she said and immediately his face grew serious.
"Where?", he demanded, taking out his own wand and walking forward towards the entrance.
"They-they're gone probably, but I swear I saw someone-
"I never said I didn't believe you Granger", he ran his hand through his hair, "I- I think we should head back to our dormitories, its not safe."
Hermione nodded agreeing with him, and he motioned for her to walk forward. She walked, he followed close behind, and in silence they reached the great hall. She turned around to bid him goodnight, but almost stumbled when she found him right behind her.
"Merlin Malfoy, where are you-
"Im walking you to the door Granger, keep walking."
"I can go by myself Malfoy, I'm not a child.", she said crossing her hands across her chest.
He ran a frustrated hand through his blonde locks ,
"Don't be stubborn Granger, it's not safe for you-
"Im fine Malfoy, I can look after myself-
"Bloody hell Granger, for once shut up and let me walk you to your dormitory. You got attacked the last time, don't you fucking remember?", as she opened her mouth to retort he added in a more soft tone, "Please Granger, just- just don't be stubborn today."
Hermione huffed and looked away before walking forward. This guy was impossible.
Hermione scowled all the way to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room.
As they came to a halt in front of the Fat Lady Malfoy spoke,
"See? listening to me wasn't all that bad , Granger."
She scoffed.
"Whatever Malfoy. Do you need someone to accompany you down to the dungeons too?"
His lips quirked just a little.
"Goodnight Granger"
She looked at him for a moment and nodded.
"Goodnight.", she spoke before whispering the password and slipping inside the tower, but now before catching the musky scent of his cologne.
...
Holy Merlin! I'm so sorry this took so long. My classes have begun and the amount of assignments I have is bloody horrendous. Anyways I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a review down there, telling me how you liked it.
Also, this is the last chapter containing Hogwarts as I will be doing a little time skip in the next chapter. I hope you don't despise time skips.
xx
grangerandmalfoy