The great hall was practically deserted this Saturday morning, which was unusual on weekends, especially when it was almost eleven in the morning. Hermione noticed that there were only a few Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws on their tables, but otherwise, the rest were practically empty, which worried Professor McGonagall, who was having breakfast with raised eyebrows, ready to lecture all of them. Hermione avoided the teacher's gaze, who certainly would ask her what was going on Hermione's horrible lying skills would put half of the school in detention for being hungover.
"Hey, Hermione." Neville nodded to her, the only one at the Gryffindor table, eating toast with eggs while reading the newspaper. As far as Hermione could remember, from her shameful dance with Ginny, Neville was beside them, as drunk as they were, but here he was, rested, without dark circles and ready to receive a new day.
"Hello, Neville". She said sitting across from him. There was a silence between them, clearly due to what he saw just half-hour ago. Hermione was hoping that Neville would simply forget and not mention it to others, especially Harry and Ron.
"It seems that not everyone can contain their liquor," Neville said smiling, putting down the newspaper to look at Hermione. "Wow, you don't look very good Hermione." She was painfully aware of that. This morning was impossible to tame her wild hair, which seemed to have drunk residue and smell on it but curiously she does not remember anyone spilling anything on top of her. She basically gave up on looking presentable today, so she dressed in some Levi's and an old sweater that had Simon & Garfunkel stamped on with. This was his dad, that gave her so she would not forget the great and wonderful muggle bands out there. Also, he gave it to her after hearing some songs that jammed in the wizard community, and of course, he was scandalized after hearing some pour lyric's about veelas getting in your panties.
"Maybe I drank a little too much." Hermione recognized it while biting toast and robbing the temples of her head that were killing her.
"So… Hermione, what's the deal with you and Malfoy?" Neville blurted out looking unpreoccupied, taking a slip on a cup of tea while Hermione almost choked on her toast.
"What? There's no deal between me and Malfoy." Hermione said practically spitting out his name as unpleasantly as she could manage but quite failing.
Neville nodded at her with a big smile on his face. "I saw you two holding hands. Did you lose your balance and Malfoy was simply there?"
"I hurt my feet and he helped with that. I'm hangover Neville and my brain is painfully asleep, I'm not in my best shape right now. That's what happened."
Like in some twisted way of destiny Malfoy entered the hall, puzzled by the empty room as well. Hermione noticed that the teacher raised her eyebrows even more and was already prepared to get up to talk to him, but Malfoy noticed this and turned around. Neville looked at Hermione like he was daring her to do something or not do anything, she wasn't quite sure, but it seemed loud. He waved at Draco and called him.
"What the fuck Neville?" Hermione said in a rusty and low voice. To her surprise, Malfoy went to them, looking as suspicious as Hermione, who buried her face in the newspaper, pretending to read about some weird plant. Great, I look like vomit and he is here.
"Good morning Malfoy. Do you mind joining us for some breakfast?" Neville asked politely, with a huge smile on his face.
"What?" Hermione and Draco asked at the same time.
"Watch your manners Mione' '" Neville said and Hermione made a disgusted face. She hated that name. "It doesn't look like anyone is going to get out of their beds today, at least not in the morning. And if we team up McGonagall won't surround each one of us alone and question until one of us surrenders."
Malfoy seemed to be struggling internally with what to do but a glowing look at Mcgonagall and the answer was clear.
"Fine then." He said sitting next to Neville, who seemed too amused for Hermione's taste.
"Great." said Neville, handing a bit of toast to Malfoy, who reluctantly grabbed it. "And don't mind Hermione she's so hungover." he said quietly. Malfoy looked at Hermione, who was practically bent over the table, preventing him from looking at her too much. Still, Malfoy half-smiled at her.
"Well, she was having a lot of fun last night, weren't you Granger?" He said, emphasizing her name. "I didn't know you could dance."
Hermione's cheeks lit up in anger and embarrassment. "Oh, sod off, both of you." she said muttering to her toast. Neville and Malfoy just smiled proudly.
This morning undoubtedly enters the list of strangest moments so far. Of all the possible scenarios, Hermione never thought she would have breakfast, on a Saturday morning with Neville and Draco Malfoy, sitting side by side, sharing jokes without threatening each other. Hermione watched them while they talked about some obscure plant that Draco read about in a black magic book that was in the mansion. Draco seemed strangely relaxed this morning and to Hermione's admiration and satisfaction, he ate his breakfast calmly, instead of taking a toast and leaving, as was usual most mornings. And he was sitting here, in the table of the enemy.
"I think it's called the Exitialis Colletis. I heard that when the toxins are inhaled, it causes anyone who breathes them to confess all of their secrets, even erased ones, while they die a slow and surely painful death." Neville said, almost reciting from a textbook. "It seems that the more secrets you have, the longer and more painful t becomes." Malfoy cringed at that thought.
"That's horrifying." Hermione said. "How do you know that stuff Neville?" Malfoy and Neville extended a prolonged look.
"What? Are you two girlfriends or something?" Hermione said playfully, watching Malfoy's face lit up with anger. She raised her eyebrow in a cocky way.
Neville coughed, obviously, he did not want to tell her how he knew that. "By the way, Hermione, do you have something to tell me?" Neville asked. Malfoy raised an eyebrow and just looked at her. Smug ass, she thought.
"I don't think so." She said while continuing to chew nervously. There was a lot about last night that Hermione did not want to talk about or… remember. She glanced briefly at Malfoy.
"I talked to Ron last night, in the party. He said he was going to talk to you about something. And we both know what that is." Neville said. Hermione gave Neville a stitch under the table. What was his bloody idea? Malfoy kept a hard stare on her, waiting for something.
She sighed and looked at Malfoy. "Yes, he talked to me." Hermione confessed.
"So? What did you say?" Neville asked curiously, looking sideways at Draco that kept his stare at her, but still controlled and measured like everything else he did.
"I said I was pissed off drunk. Whatever it is, he must have already forgotten." said Hermione. That was a lie, of course.
Before Neville opened his mouth to dig an even bigger grave for Hermione to bury herself on, Dumbledore entered the great hall, as majestically as ever, and went to their table. Hermione and Malfoy immediately exchanged nervous looks. That stupid bird.
"Hello Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy." he said first, looking at them both suspiciously. "Oh, Mister Longbottom. Nice to see you all in this beautiful morning. Do you know why all your classmates are not here?" He asked with a spark in his eye. Of course, he knew.
"No sir." They all said with their heads down.
"Curious. Well, I better get going, I'm starving." he said smiling "Miss Granger." He handed her a letter. "I think this belongs to you. I hope you understand." He said, looking her in the eye. "Have a nice day."
"Fuck." Hermione whispered, seeing the letter perfectly sealed.
"What is that?" Neville asked glancing at her hands that were trembling slightly.
"Nothing. I have to go." Hermione dashed off the table, without a mere look at the two boys. Neville noticed that Draco followed her with his eyes until she left the great hall.
"what was that about?" He asked Neville bluntly.
"I don't know. Hermione never received a letter this year." Neville said.
"Never? What about her parents?" Draco asked.
"I don't know Malfoy, she doesn't talk too much with us about some stuff, especially her parents." Neville admitted, finishing his toast. "You know, since Sirius' death and the return of You-Know-Who, she has closed a bit. I think that somehow we are all more cautious, even around our friends."
Malfoy nodded, looking at the place Granger was just a few minutes ago. This was without any doubt the strangest breakfast he ever had. Well, second strangest breakfast, comparing the one he had during summer break with the Dark Lord, his crazy aunt, and his parents. That was more awkward than eating with Granger and Neville.
After a few minutes of finishing his food in silence, he said goodbye to Neville and walk out before anyone else saw them, especially anyone of his friends. A part of him was curious about that letter that Granger receives which clearly made her so upset. But mostly he was surprised she did not share that much with her friends, he always thought they shared everything while doing their hair together and singing songs about being good and the happiness that existed in the world. Fine, maybe this was hate and prejudice between houses that runs too deep to cut down, but he thought that it may exist some truth in that. Maybe he could ask her about it during patrols but only because he was curious, about what secrets that head of hers could keep not because he worried about her. No fucking way.
Malfoy sighed and entered the Room of Requirements. Another day.
"No way!" Hermione said out loud laughing. "I would know if Neville was…you know!".
"Playing for the other team?" Draco winked his eyes at her.
"Please I know him since he was eleven, I would know if he liked other guys!" Hermione said all righteous.
"Maybe you are not that insightful as you think you are." Draco smirked.
"I think you are messing with me and I will see the end of this." She said with her hands on her hips. Definitely not threatening, Draco thought.
"Suit yourself. I will be waiting for a "you're so bloody right… all the time, amazing." Draco said imitating Granger's voice, with one hand in his chest.
"Bloody bastard!" Hermione laughed while trying to hit his shoulder and failing for a few inches.
The fleeting autumn heat during the day quickly disappeared as the sun went down. An icy cold drifted through the night, running around the steps of Hermione and Draco who did the usual patrols, but this time they both silently agreed to keep each other company. Hermione was still a little hungover but after a suspicious miracle recipe made by Winky, the eminent headache eased to the point where she was able to keep her eyes open.
"So, are you going to tell me what's the deal between you and Neville?" Hermione asked, walking side by side with Malfoy on the fourth floor.
"Didn't they ever tell you that curiosity killed the cat, Granger?"
"Well ... I'm not a cat." Hermione said, crossing her shoulders. "This time at least." She whispered to herself.
"Let's just say that I met Neville during the summer break and we both helped each other."
"Oh god, did you two gave hand jobs to each other?" Hermione asked slightly shocked.
"What? For Salazar's sake, I'm not that type Granger." Draco said with an offensive expression, which made Hermione laugh, imagining Draco and Neville holding hands. Definitely not. And Draco was right, she knew what his type was ... unfortunately.
"I know what you're thinking about in that big head of yours." said Draco stopping suddenly and coming face to face with Hermione.
"Is that so?" Hermione replied, trying to contain any kind of nervousness. She knew where this conversation was going to lead.
"About last night." Draco said as if nothing much had happened.
"If you are going to say that I'm jealous of you and Pansy I swear I will throw you out the window, Malfoy." Hermione said crossing her arms.
"Okay, don't get all tough on me Granger." He said "I just wanted to say that you shouldn't have seen that I should have checked that the door was locked. It was my mistake."
"Is that all?" Hermione asked.
No, he thought.
"Yes, pretty much. I just didn't want my dick to haunt you forever." He said smirking. "Only if you wanted, of course."
"Sod off!" This time Hermione managed to hit him on the shoulder, maybe a little too harshly to the point she was practically embracing him.
Hermione felt the whirlwind that always comes when she gets too close to Draco. Perhaps it was not a whirlwind, but some kind of hurricane that took away any kind of rationality and judgment.
"Do you want to tell me what that letter was you received this morning?" Draco asked, maintaining his proximity.
Hermione moved away immediately, feeling the cold around her once more. "That was nothing. Just a letter."
"Delivered by Dumbledore himself? C'mon Granger, I'm not one of your friends, I'm not stupid." Draco said defensively.
"Don't get me wrong Malfoy but how do I know I can trust you?" Hermione said honestly. "Just because you don't call me names anymore and we ate breakfast together this morning?"
"And a lot more." Draco said simply. "I saved your life Granger, that night in the forest."
"You did. So what? Are we buddies now? Friends?" Hermione asked.
"We tolerate each other." Draco smirked. "When you are not being a pain in my ass."
Hermione could not help but smile back. Idiot. "Well, I already saw your dick so." Hermione played and Draco laughed at her, quite surprised. Seriously, she did not know what was about Malfoy that always made her said all the things that passed her mind, without overanalyzing every single bit.
She tensed a bit and Malfoy sensed that and got a little bit closer. "I was just playing Granger. You don't have to tell me anything." Hermione looked at his eyes, maybe searching for something untruthful and dangerous about him, maybe some red flag that he was still the same arrogant asshole but she didn't find anything.
"During the summer, Dumbledore came to visit me and warned me that my parents would be at risk, because of me, sooner or later, and that would be inevitable." Hermione took a deep breath and continued. "I already knew that. I just thought I had more time. Anyways, the director thought I should go back to Hogwarts and to ensure their safety, before it was too late, he thought it was better for me to cut off any contact with them. Basically, stop writing any letters during the year, in case someone catches them and somehow finds out where they are living." Hermione tried to control her tears and fear that was always lurking behind her. "I agreed but they are my parents, so I messed up."
Draco touched her shoulder gently, letting his hand stay there for a few minutes, in a hesitant way. "What did you say to your parents?"
"I said it was a new order from Hogwarts. They were suspicious and I ended up sending a few letters, just one a month until Dumbledore found out." She said, letting herself be angry for the first time.
"I'm really sorry Granger." Draco said and she knew he meant it and even somehow understood it.
Without thinking twice, Hermione rested her head on Malfoy's chest. He smelled like old books, pine, and something she couldn't put her finger on it. He felt like a rock, a solid place where she could rest just for a few seconds. An imperfect place that made no sense, but these were imperfect and irrational times, it was a time of war and nobody knew who was going to come out alive or not. Given that, getting close to Malfoy was not the most dramatic thing that would happen.
"C'mon, it's bloody freezing in here," Malfoy said after a while of letting her rest on his chest and of him touching gently, in an awkward and inexperienced way on her back. Hermione nodded and when she was ready to distance herself from him, Malfoy took off his cloak to give it to her. "It's bloody autumn, you shouldn't be leaving without your cloak. Do you want to be sick?"
Hermione just smiled at him and pulled his cloak tighter to her, absorbing all the warmth and his smell.
I wanted to make an honorable mention to the reference to the name of the plant that appears on the wonderful fanfiction of Lena Phoria "Cruel and Beautiful World" that I'm now binging! Xx