She did not believe in karma or faith, but she was pretty sure something cosmic was intervening in her judgment and actions. She was past finding excuses for herself; for what she felt and wanted. That was one thing, the other was the universe conspiring against her actions. While Draco's hands wandered by her body, finding his way beneath her shirt, they heard someone knock at the door. First almost quietly, and then in a rush. They both got up immediately, not even bothering to look at the mirror - if they did, surely Draco would found strange how pink his lips were, or how messy his hair was.
"Shit." She said, hurrying to the dining room, followed by Draco who knocked himself at his room.
"Blaise." She could kill him right now. "What the fuck you want?" She asked leaving the door open.
"Granger, always lovely to see you." He said closing the door behind him. "And where's our friend?" Hermione rolled her eye and dropped at their couch.
"What do you want?" Draco asked leaning against the door of his room.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He said smiling. He did not give a fuck. "Snape's looking for you."
"Are you his lapdog now?" Draco asked, feeling annoyed and ready to smash something. Seriously, why everyone was always interrupting them.
"Jealous, Drake?" Blaise sat down on their couch. "Oh, chocolate cake?" He said pointing at some leftovers in the coffee table." I fucking love cake." Blaise grabbed one fork, ready to take a bite.
"That's enough." Draco tapped his friend's shoulder.
"So protective. I supposed you like that, don't you Granger?" He asked her. "A man can't eat your cake."
Hermione was ready to call it the night and disappear to her room, but of course, Blaise had to involve her somehow. "Honestly, don't you have something else better to do, Blaise?"
"I'm afraid not. Believe me, my idea of a fun night doesn't involve watch you two do the all will-they-won't they shenanigans." Blaise was still looking at her, especially some sort of reaction. But Hermione was not in the mood.
"Piss off. I'm going to bed." She said getting up from the coach.
"You can't, Granger. McGonagall is looking for you too. They are calling everybody. I think we are having a sort of special night of training, or whatever."
"That doesn't make any sense." Hermione said. Surely McGonagall or Dumbledore would talk to them, not at the last minute. Or even Ginny and Harry or Ron would pass by to warn her.
"They are making groups. Only a few of us were called for tonight. Lucky us, we are all in it together." Blaise smiled. "I think this is an opportunity for bonding. Don't you think?"
"If I have to hear your voice one more time, I may kill myself." She said ignoring him while she dressed her cloak.
"Always so broody, this one." He said. "I don't know how Draco deals with you." Hermione snapped back and eyed Draco, who suddenly gains an immense interest in the weather outside.
"Jesus Christ." She said, walking out of the door. She crushed into someone that almost made her fall to the ground.
"Harry." She said surprised and suddenly very happy that he was in her group. She could not deal with Blaise the rest of the night.
"Hermione..." He said glancing at Draco and Blaise that were just behind her. "What is he doing here?"
"Hello, Potter. I guessed I arrived earlier. Don't worry, I won't steal your best friend away. Only if she wants to, of course." Blaise blinked at her.
"You're disgusting," Hermione said. "Let's go, Harry." She said grabbing Harry's hand.
Moving Harry was not an easy task. He felt like a stone, rigid and tense, ready to start some cockfight. Hermione never understood any of this macho show that consisted mainly of staring at each other, too intensely and deeply - like two persons in love. This is what the three boys were doing. A staring conquest and if was not for her, they would be here all night. Finally, Harry moved along and stopped eyeing Blaise and Draco, and took her hand, intertwining his fingers on hers. Hermione glanced at their hands - at the side of it and could not help but look behind at Draco's face. She did not think it was jealously, but she could tell by one look when something was wrong or when he was upset. He was pissed but in a i-don't-care way. At his side, Blaise was grinning, enjoying whatever he was enjoying.
"Thank you for coming." McGonagall said, in her usual professional manner, even in the middle of a forest. She made all places her teaching place. "I know this may sound strange or rushed, but that was the whole point. An attack won't come scheduled, it will come in the most inspectable way, at the dawn of day, at night, no one can know for sure. It will interrupt our lives and we have to be ready, at any moment."
The anxiety was palpable in the air, combine with the chilled and unearthly ambiance coming from the dark woods, that grow darker and darker by the minute. Like a mass that wanted to suck you whole, without mercy. Hermione felt compelled to let it, she wonders if Draco felt it too. She looked at him, he was in the other corner, surrounded by Blaise, Theo, and Pansy. He returned the look - like he always knew when she was glancing at him - but she could not decipher his look, only that he seemed impenetrable. She tried a small smile, discretely, but he looked away.
"We divided the whole school into groups, selected with a single purpose. Mostly based on your magic type." She added. Everyone looked confused. "It's confidential information until this point. Only a way we can evaluate each student and give them the right education, suitable for their type of magic. For a long time, acted has simple criteria that professors used in Hogwarts, but this war asks us to be a little more creative."
"So this is a test. We are some sort of experimental." Pansy responded defensively. "Great. Because the freaking exams are not enough."
Ron nodded and Hermione found that strange and somehow amusing. A world where Ron agreed with Pansy. But Ron would agree with anyone if that meant the cancelation of the exams.
"Miss Parkison, you are students. Not guinea pigs." She snapped back. "And we need all the help we can get it and that involves the students, unfortunately. Don't think I'm happy with the idea of young people fighting some war at such young age and I can only imagine what that means for each one of you." She said sincerely. Hermione never saw her professor talking in such a vulnerable way. She always seemed like a woman too high to reach that she admired deeply but at this moment she looked just like a person, scared like each of one.
"So, now that's out of the way, let's start. We thought of combining two pairs with the most compatible magic, in a theoretical way, but soon we will find out if that's any truth in that." She looked at her notebook but first glanced at each one of us like she was about to tell us bad news. "I like to think I'm dealing with almost grown up and none of you will make a fist because they don't like their partner. I remind you that this is just an experiment, none of you are bonded to another." She looked like she was about to kick our ass if any of us made a sound protesting. "This is not a marriage after all." She responded, containing a half-smile.
Hermione noticed her best friends growing impatient by the odds of the possible partner they would end up with because there was a slight change - even if they think it was crazy- that they would end up with any of the Slytherin. Even if Hermione wanted to talk to Draco, she could not trust herself with him and she doubted that her magic would not respond to him in any way. She read about it, a long time ago, the possibility of such proximity with specific people, even with your friends, manifesting in their magic, like they would become suddenly bonded to one another. Hermione did not believe their affections were soul-changing but she was not ready to find out. She preferred Draco's matter in a box, in a grey area of her brain.
"Ginny Weasley..." The professor looked at her notes. "With Blaise Zabini."
Ginny was about to protest but McGonagall merely looked at her, much like Mrs. Weasley did, when Ginny was "acting out" like her mother used to say. Hermione suddenly reminded of that odd conversation she had with Blaise a few days ago, that seemed a lifetime ago, about him wanting to date Ginny. By the looks Ginny was giving Blaise, his scenario of a possible relationship – or whatever Blaise does – was out of his reach.
"Harry Potter with Pansy Parkinson."
"What?" Harry protest. "That has to be some sort of mistake, professor."
"Yes, professor. How could my magic be... compatible with his? He's a bloody Gryffindor."
"Pansy, Harry." McGonagall took off her glasses for a brief moment. "I frankly don't care. Next, it's Ron Weasley..."
Harry gave Hermione a pitty glance like he was pleading her to do something, probably revolt with him. "It's only for one night." She whispered and he nodded, still looking defeat. Ginny glanced at him, despite Harry's obliviation. If she knew her friend, she was probably making a lot of possible reasons why they did not.
"Ron, you're with Theo." She said. The boys changed one look but say nothing. They were not happy about it but probably they thought it was better than something else.
Hermione's heart tightened with the following words that she already suspects were coming. "Hermione Granger with Draco Malfoy." She thought of protesting or making some snarky comment, but she was too occupied over-analyzing why her magic was compatible with his. Was it because of her feelings? But that did not make any sense, Harry hated Pansy; Ginny hated Blaise. What were the criteria they were using? If only she could take a sneak peek at the professor's notes, she would understand better. What she was truly hoping, secretly, was to figure out her feelings for him and she would gladly drop everything if science gave her a reason, even just a simple one, that would make sense of her feelings because she surely couldn't.
Pansy said something, probably nasty, at Draco, but Hermione was too busy trying and failing to look at McGonagall's notes and ignoring the looks of concern Ron and Harry were giving her. She returned those looks in the most credible possible she could.
"Now that's out of the way." She said, almost relieved. "We are trying some duels between two groups, in a way that we can test your magic with your partner. If it gets stronger, the same or something else. Like miss Granger just said, it's only for one night, so there's no need for that funeral looks. Are you hearing me, Harry?"
Harry merely nodded, clearly conflicted with himself. "Yes, professor."
"Shall we?"
This was a bloody disaster, Hermione thought while trying to escape from Pansy's spell. She was much faster than she used to be, probably because she was being fulled of anger - and not by Harry's magic. Draco was by her side, firing spells with the same rage as Pansy to Harry, who was happy to return. She didn't understand the fundaments behind this theory, but she felt stronger, more focused even, on her magic and surroundings. And even more aware of Draco's presence and magic. He was pissed. Truly pissed, and she did not understand how she could feel that by his magic. She wondered if she was the one to feel this.
Suddenly she felt something sting in her arm like her flesh was tearing apart, slowly, piece by piece. She holds her arm but in that minute Pansy cast what sounded a nasty spell in her direction. Without time to react, Draco covered her and cast the protego spell. Pansy was petrified, in part because her spell backfired and she somehow injured her arm. Everyone else stopped dueling and fell into a silence that was almost chilling but suitable for the forest.
Hermione was on the floor, still grabbing her arm. The pain was disappearing slowly and Hermione recovered her focus just to see everyone watching them with curious eyes, specially McGonagall that scribed something in her notes, with a spark in her eyes. Pansy was the first to leave the forest, ignoring McGonagall's protests of detention on Monday.
"Let's take a break." The professor said, stepping away to some shadow with her suspicious book.
"Are you okay?" Draco asked her low enough for only she to hear.
Hermione got up slowly and nodded. "Yea, it was just my arm. I don't know what happened." It only took one single look at him to see it was the Dark Mark burning on his arm. How could she felt that? That seemed impossible, surely fighting alongside him, did not mean she would feel everything that he felt.
"What did you do to her?" Ron asked taking a few steps closer to Hermione. "Are you alright?" Draco snorted and Hermione glared at him. Please, don't make a fucking scene. She hoped Draco understood the look she was giving him.
"How sad is your life Weasley, that you must pretend to be a fucking hero, in situations has stupid like this one? I guess Potter's doesn't give you much room, so you just pick the pieces, just so people don't forget you. How pathetic." Draco glared at him, with his usual mean and cruel smirk.
"Malfoy, I think that's enough." Hermione said glaring at him. "Everything is fine Ron. My arm just hurts, that's all. There's no need for any of this." Hermione escaped Ron's hand on her shoulder and walked away, hoping the conversation was finished. She did not want to be the center of any of those macho shows, especially the ones where Draco was part of. He was reckless and she did not want to take any sides in front of everyone at the moment. In truth, she was already going to do that Friday.
But Ron followed her around, in not such a discrete manner. "Why are you being civil with Malfoy?" He asked bluntly. Everyone was looking at her. Harry joined them looking confused and interested. "What's going on?" He asked. "Are you okay, Hermione?"
"I'm sick of him, Harry. He's always... around, these days." Ron said, trying to keep his tone down but everyone was looking at them suspiciously. "Don't you think?"
"Well, he's a student here, Ronald. Of course, he is always around." Hermione responded, with the tone that made Ron even more pissed off to the point he left the argument. He always hated when she talked to him like that. Like he was stupid, or inferior to her in some way. Hermione knew that and still could not help it. If she was being truly honest with herself, sometimes it seems she did on purpose, to ruin something.
"Don't." Ron merely said, looking straight at her.
Hermione changed a worried glance with Ginny and she immediately steps in. "Don't mind my brother, I think Ron's is just pissed off about his pair. Or still affected by whatever you took in the Infirmary."
"It's not about that. It's about..." Ron looked at Hermione. This time she could not look away, nor avoid all the hopelessness in his eyes. "Nevermind." He said walking out. "I'm the stupid here, as always."
"Hermione...?" Harry said, hoping she would explain what the hell just happened that made Ron snap. Hermione thought about coming clear about Malfoy. Grab the boys and explain to them everything, or almost everything, that had happened the past month between them. She wanted it terribly if that did not mean she would lose both. Maybe Harry would understand, he always gets her. And Ron... he will move on eventually. She told herself. She was hurting Ron and that was the worst part of it all. And all that Lavender stuff was not enough to excuse to make her feel good about herself about what she was doing. When she found out Lavender kissed Ron after the match, she was secretly opining he would fall in love with her, because it would be easier. Easier to allow herself to feel for Draco. Maybe even easier to tell him the whole truth, maybe they would even stay friends. But after the poisonous incident, Ron stopped talking to her, and became very clear he was still holding on to her.
"I don't know, Harry." Hermione said suddenly feeling drained. "I need to sit." Everything was starting to float around her. The trees, their faces. Ginny's big eyes. Harry's dreamy eyes. Theo's back against the tree, looking unbothered. Blaise fucking smirk. McGonagall writing something - about her and Malfoy? Ron's back, walking away from her, in anger, in disappointment or pain? And his face, in a considerable distance. And a voice, hanging in the air. Was it her voice? She could not recognize it at this point. And then, darkness covers all the faces and the damn voice.
"Hey there." He said. Hermione gained her senses one by one. First, his smell, his cologne, and fresh mint or pine. Then, his voice, coming piece by piece. At this moment, he sounded so peaceful, nothing like he usually sounded like - most of the times, his voice sounded harsh, or hurried, or angry, or just, like he was not there. But he was much here. She opened her eyes, Draco was standing in front of her, by the bed. Hermione realized soon she was in the Infirmary, by the smell of potions and chemicals hanging in the air, making it denser. The sun was coming out shyly by the window next to her and the birds were singing, so it was probably early in the morning. Draco was already in his uniform, these days was more wrinkled than ever. He looked exhausted, again.
"What happened?" Hermione asked.
"You made a scene last night. You passed out." He said. "McGonagall brought you here immediately, and because it was late, they agreed you should just sleep here tonight."
"Why did I passed out? I don't remember much, honestly."
Draco jaws tensed up. Something happened. "What is it, Draco?" She asked.
"Well, you remember why we were out there in the woods last night?"
"Yes... Some magical experimental with McGonagall. Duels." She said, trying to join the pieces. "Someone hit me? Was it Pansy?"
"No. Well, she tried, a lot." Hermione rolled her eyes. "But that's not it. McGonagall was trying to make up some batshit crazy theory about united magic. I don't know about the others, but... It was working for us. At least for me." Hermione suddenly remembers it all. Ron's fight. Her arm.
"My arm started hurting out of nowhere like something was on fire." She looked at him. "It was the Mark?"
Until this point, Hermione only imagined Draco already had the Mark. She suspected from singles moments that became something regular, like him always scratching the same arm, with a frown on his face; or the fact that he always had his sleeve down, even when the other was up. Hermione felt an urge to see it, even touch it. To stare at it for a long time, until something happened. A part of her secretly believes if she saw that Mark, each feeling she had developed from him over the past month would disappear, the reality would come crashing down and everything returned to normalcy. Her eyes were fixed on that sleeve.
Draco's posture stayed rigid that screamed that he would prefer to watch than to talk at this moment. She felt him stare at her, but she could not simply look back. "Yes. I think it was." He merely said, after a long since.
Hermione finally looked up, ignoring his Mark. This was not the moment for that. "How's that possible? Our magic is not... bonded, or whatever. That's absurd Draco." Hermione felt restless, she tried to get up out of bed but suddenly felt very drained. "I need to..." She had no idea if they gave her something to rest or for the pain.
"Hermione, try to relax." He said that and immediately regret it by the look she gave him. "Look, I don't know how that happened but I'm sure we are not bonded. That sort of thing doesn't just happen. You need a ritual, something dark, to make that sort of thing..." Draco's face changed out of sudden and she did not like it one bit.
"What?" She asked on edge. "What is it?"
"The unicorn." He said finally, messing with his hair in a classic move of desperation or frustration. "I conjured some old spell. I mean, I already cast it a million times, but this time, something felt out of place. Maybe I screwed it up, somehow. Fuck."
"You took my pain away, transfer it to you." Hermione said slowly like she was trying to explain it to a small child. "Do you think that transfer created some sort of bond?" She asked incredulously. The last thing she wanted right now was to be bonded with Draco, magically; her feelings for him were confusing enough, without the magic blurring everything. "That can't happen, right?"
Draco started pacing in the room. "You can't just feel everything I feel!". He said in a tone of exasperation.
"Well, I don't. Only when we are using magic, I suppose?" Hermione said unsure. "That doesn't make any sense. I can't stay here."
Draco stopped pacing and helped her get out of bed. She was still in her uniform and not in some silly pajamas that they usually conjured. Their hands touched and she could swear something sparked between them, like a flow of electricity that bonded them. "I need to go to the library. Right now." And for the first time, Draco agreed with her.