Description: The war was won, and now the golden trio returned to school for their 7th year. The castle was reconstructed and ready to welcome its students. With Voldemort dead, shouldn't Hogwarts be safe? What happens when all the students return to school, and danger returns to Hogwarts? Who's causing it? Will there be a new hero? And can the dangers truly be stopped this time?
Chapter 3. Hogsmeade
"Hermione, I need to talk to you, now!" Ginny interrupted Hermione as she talked to Jamie Rivers, a fourth-year Ravenclaw. Hermione stood slowly and Ginny grabbed her by her forearm, dragging her away until they were outside of the Common Room. "What's wrong, Ginny? Is everything okay?"
Ginny scoffed. "Are you fucking serious? How could you ask such a question? Of course, everything is not bloody okay! You have Harry on the sideline of being expelled because of last night and you claim him to be your best friend? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Hermione shook her head, astonished at the low blow from Ginny. "I'm not the one who ratted on Harry. It was Malfoy, but thanks to Malfoy, I was saved by mere seconds from being raped by Harry. None of you seem to understand the fact that Harry was about to stun me so that he could have sex with me. I was half-naked in a bloody corridor, Ginny! How do you think all of this has affected me?" She pleaded.
Ginny laughed sarcastically. "You don't think we realize how desperate you are for their attention? Forget it. You're not the only woman in their lives anymore. My brother doesn't have to fantasize over you anymore. You waited too long to accept his love."
"I don't know where you're getting your information from Ginny, but I'm not desperate for anyone's attention. Harry and Ron are my best friends. I love them like family, but since they got together with you and Luna, I don't even see them anymore. Especially, Harry. You smother him. Are you afraid that Harry could find someone better than you if he wasn't constantly underneath you?
"Harry wants to spend time with me. I give him his space, but he doesn't want to be anywhere unless it's with me. He's making up for the months you all Horcrux hunted, and I don't need you in the way of that. So stay away from both of them." Ginny demanded.
The Horcrux hunt. That's something Hermione didn't want to remember. The conversation was getting them nowhere. She didn't know what she'd done to push away everyone. Her eyes filled with angry tears. "Fine, Ginny. Whatever you want. Your wish is my command. So, if we're done here," Hermione spat, and stormed down the corridor, jumping once the portrait slammed closed. And since then, everything had gone to hell.
A few days had passed since the night she patrolled with Malfoy, and things had only gotten worse with the ones she once called her mates. She was thankful that only a select few knew about everything that had happened, and it was only because Ginny had told them. She was terrified at the thought of Malfoy telling the entire school, but he'd thankfully not said a word.
The only highlight of her week was being nominated Head Girl. She tried so hard to show how much she wanted to be qualified for the position and she was thankful that Professor McGonagall had paid close enough attention to her. The only downfall of her new position was that the Head Boy was none other than Draco Malfoy. When she heard his name announced in the Great Hall, she lost all hope that the year would go well.
Heads were elected by how good the two could work with each other, or so she was told. If that had been the truth then how could they have been paired together? Both of them were toxic in each other's presence. It was as if Hermione was a matchstick and Malfoy was gasoline. Putting two together would make a deadly situation. Sadly, according to Professor McGonagall, their patrolling reports were what earned them their positions. Malfoy for his honesty and Hermione for her urge to finish the patrolling task the pair had been given, even after what had happened.
The Heads were given a small flat on the seventh floor. It had a good-sized bathroom, a small sitting room that was decorated in both the crest of Gryffindor and Slytherin, and two bedrooms that consisted of a four-poster full-size bed, a chest of drawers, and a desk. They were allowed visitors until eight at night and their rooms could only be opened by the password it was charmed with.
Hermione despised having to live with Malfoy. She didn't want to be within breathing distance of him, much less to be living underneath the same roof. She was thankful for one thing though, since they'd been given the ridiculous living accommodation, she hadn't seen him. Rumour had it that he had to spend a few days in Azkaban, to do more time against his charges for working with Voldemort. Hermione wondered if he would be given a different space to be in since he was still a student and all, or if he would be locked in a cell-like the other criminals? She hated him with all her being, but she wouldn't wish Azkaban on anyone. Especially someone who was born into a corrupt upbringing.
Azkaban was the living version of Hell. The place was horrible. It was dark, muggy, and it constantly rained there. There was never any sunlight and the inmates only saw light thirty minutes a day, and that was when dinner was served. Each day that passed you could feel your soul seeping from your chest even if it wasn't visible, and the insanity in your head rapidly increased.
It didn't take long for the solitude to drive someone crazy. Some of the criminals shared cells. Some were able to share them with their spouses, but it cost them thousands of galleons if not more. But most were alone, like Draco. Those who were alone were usually the ones who turned mentally insane. From their groans to sarcastic laughs or blood-curdling screams, it was truly frightening experience to live, and Draco was terrified that he was slowly losing his sanity.
Draco was sentenced three years in Azkaban. His father paid for him to be released, but he still had to pay his time. He had to check in five days a month into Azkaban, keep perfect grades at Hogwarts, and be on good behaviour, or all the galleons his father spent would be for nothing.
It was Draco's last night in Azkaban and boy was he was glad. His only entrainment was looking at his reflection in the mirror that sat on a wall above the sink in his cell. In just five days, he'd lost at least ten pounds. His cheeks were sunk in, dark circles shined underneath his eyes, and his face was as pale as a ghost. He felt lifeless, unable to feel emotions. At times, he wished the Dementors would just kiss him to get the agony over with.
This is not how he wanted to spend the next three years. Once he finished his schooling, straight to Azkaban he would go until he finished his time. Once he graduated, that would leave him 1095 days left to complete. If he was to spend all of those days, locked away in a dark cell, he would surely go insane.
It was half-past eight, and the sun just began to set. It casted an orange haze above the horizon, lighting up the sky as if lit by fire. The sun resembled a burnt orange fireball that sat in the middle of multicoloured clouds. The crimson colours began to vanish as the sun began to set, and a full moon began to rise. Distant howls could be heard from within the Forbidden Forest. Werewolves would be transforming tonight. A slight frown appeared across her face when the thought of her former teacher, former member Order of the Phoenix crossed her mind: Remus Lupin.
Outside the castle was the only place Hermione could properly study anymore. Before, she could stay hours at a time in the library. Now the place was always so overcrowded by other students that she needed to silence. She sat down at a picnic table inside one of the Greenhouses and then conjured a few tea candles to expand the amount of light around her. She pulled out two textbooks and a few rolls of blank parchment along with her self-inking quill. She unrolled one of the parchments and started on her first assignment: Herbology.
The night's sky began to darken and Hermione started gathering her things into her bag. Just as she was standing up a cloaked figure sat down in front of her, causing her to let out a loud squeal falling backward into a pile of a fresh pile of soil. The cloaked figure was Professor Rittle. He bent down to help her up and pulled down his hood. "Miss Granger, I'm very sorry. Are you okay? I didn't mean to frighten you.
"I'm fine, Professor. I didn't expect any visitors," she chuckled sheepishly.
She dusted the dirt off the back of her skirt and her hands began to gather debris from her curls before she could check underneath her hair, Rittle pulled a leaf from within her curls, his knuckles brushing against the crease of her neck, causing a shiver to run down her spine.
"Um, thanks," she muttered, her cheeks turning pink.
"Forgive me, please," he apologized once again. "Did I interrupt your studies?"
"No sir, I was just finishing up for the night. I have a Herbology essay due and I wanted to study in silence. What are you doing out so late, Professor? Getting a break from the castle?" She asked as she gathered her things.
"Yes ma'am. It's beautiful out tonight and the grounds are being illuminated by the moonlight. It's nice to be able to interact with nature. I like watching night flowers bloom."
Hermione sighed, nodding in agreement. Why couldn't the world be as pure as nature was? She glanced up at the glass roof of the greenhouse, looking at the bright moon that illuminated her surroundings. Everything looked beautiful underneath the silver light.
"See, look at this night bloomer," the Professor suggested, his fingers caressed the delicate petals of a yellow flower. "This flower is an Evening Primrose. They're used in many potions and Muggle medicines."
"Wow, it's beautiful," she said quietly, her finger touching one of the yellow petals. "I've never seen a yellow one before. I bet Neville would love to see this flower bloom."
The professor chuckled slightly. "He has one in his room. He watches it bloom every night. He uses it as a memory of his parents, hoping they can be reborn from the tragedy that happened to them. Or at least that's what he told me."
She knew exactly how Neville felt. Neville's parents had been tortured into insanity. She knew what it was like to see your parents in such a delicate state of mind. Hermione had to remove the memories of her parents and has produced such a strong memory charm, everyone was losing hope of it being reversible.
"I know exactly how he feels. It's hard not having family, especially your mum and dad. When your friends are like your only family and they betray you, it's even worse..." she trailed off.
"People gain their payback, Miss Granger, remember that." She gave him a slight smile in agreement. She looked down at her wristwatch and gasped.
"Oh goodness, it's half-past twelve. I really need to be getting back to the castle. I guess I'll leave you to your thoughts then, Professor Rittle."
"Of course," He said with a half-smile. Hermione always had a fetish when men smiled like that, it made butterflies dance in her stomach. "Would you like me to walk you to your dormitory?" He asked, breaking the space between them. His hand dusted off what appeared to be dust on her shoulder, and his touch caused her to shiver.
"No sir, I'll be okay. G-Goodnight Professor." She stuttered.
"Goodnight Hermione." He said softly, and with that Hermione got her bag and with a wave goodbye she walked back to the castle. She didn't know why she always felt so uneasy around him. He was very handsome and being within near him made her jittery. He was mysterious, and it excited her. It flipped a switch inside her made her forget about all the chaos in her life.
"Crushing on a teacher just like you did in second-year, pathetic Hermione. That's fifty points from Gryffindor," She sarcastically said to herself, laughing as she made her way to the castle.
The next morning a little after ten, Draco was apparated into Hogsmeade by one of the Ministry's Aurors, with his hands magically bound behind his back. He didn't see the reason being put under such security. It was as if he was truly a criminal, he hadn't hurt or kill anyone. He'd just been on the wrong side of the war.
People stared at him as they walked throughout the village, some shouting out things like "You should rot in Azkaban for working with someone like him" or "Let the Dementors have him". He tried to ignore them, but inside, the lashes everyone threw at him felt like a stab to the heart. Draco attempted to hold his head high like any other Malfoy would. Even if he had committed a crime, which meant having served the Dark Lord, at least he accepted it and was paying the price.
They finally got to the gates of Hogwarts and Malfoy was surprised to see Professor McGonagall waiting for him instead of Hagrid.
"Good morning, Headmistress. How are you today?" Asked the Auror casually as he released Draco.
"I could be better, Philips. There are too many problems going on-"
"What's happening at Hogwarts?" Draco interrupted.
"That is no concern of yours, young man. Now Philips, please give me Mr Malfoy's wand."
Philips handed over Draco's wand and Draco lunged for it, but Philips' reflexes kicked in and blocked his lunge, causing Draco to fall backward into the damp grass
"You don't snatch things out of anyone's hands, you prat," spat Philips as an angry Draco got back onto his feet, dusting off his dirty clothes. "She must have a good reason to want it."
"That's what I want to know, you bloody idiot! Why do you want my wand? I haven't had it all week."
"Watch your mouth, Mr Malfoy. I will not tolerate it. I will explain to you once were in my office. Now let's go," she said as she took a few steps up the pathway, then turned. "Thank you for the safe delivery, Philips. You may go now," Professor McGonagall said, frustrated.
The older man nodded. "If you need anything, please send me a Patronus." McGonagall gave him a meek nod and he turned away, walking down the road to Hogsmeade and then apparated.
"Now Mr. Malfoy, if you would please follow me." Draco wanted to shout a mouth full of demands at her and to snatch his wand out of her hand, but he just followed her instead. He was afraid of actually losing his wand for good. What could be going on at Hogwarts that she didn't want to tell him?
The gates closed behind them and two giants began to take their guarding spot again. A million thoughts jumbled through his head as they made their way through the castle. The only thing that had been on his mind before arriving was locking himself in the bathroom for two hours or more to scrub away the sweat, grime, and tears that littered his body.
Could someone be trying to interfere with security? Or was it something that maybe a student was doing? Or could it be the unexpected, could it be The Dark Lord? The latter was crazy of course. Draco witnessed the death of The Dark Lord along with the others several months back, but he still feared that somehow he could still be alive, and that he would come back and finish off those who betrayed him, and take over the Wizarding World.
They finally arrived at McGonagall's office. She whispered an inaudible password and the door creaked open. "Please sit in one of the armchairs, Mr Malfoy."
He rolled his eyes as he sat down in one of the leather-padded armchairs, his fingers immediately began to drum against its arms. McGonagall sat down at her desk and with a flick of her want all the owl post that was on her table began to separate into different piles.
After the mail was sorted, she pulled out Draco's wand from the pocket of her robe and laid it onto her desk. "What do you want with my wand?" He asked again. He was tired of sitting around and waiting.
"I have to see if you have cast one of the Unforgivable Curses since you arrived at Hogwarts," She said simply.
"But that's not fair! Just because I've been sentenced time in Azkaban doesn't mean I'm a real criminal. Hell, even when I served the Dark Lord I never used any of those curses!" He shouted angrily.
"Lower your voice when talking to me. Every wand within the castle has been checked except yours. The other night when you informed me of what had happened with Granger, Potter was taken to the Medical Wing for a mild concussion. Madam Pomfrey also said that Potter was under the Imperius Curse. His actions were truly not intentional," she said with a sigh. You could tell how tired she was. It was the first week back at school and things were already going wrong.
"And so you think I might have done it? I'm not thick. I hate Potter and Granger, but I would never do something as sick as that. No one should ever deserve that. Not even a Mudblood." He remembered that perfectly and it seemed that Harry's every intention was to shag Granger. Could he have really been under someone's control?
"Silence, Mr Malfoy! I haven't accused you of anything. All of the students, including staff members have had their wands checked and your wand is the only one that hasn't been checked yet."
Draco was going to protest but when the professor said the words "Prior Incantato", he fell silent. Instead of just showing the last spell he cast, it began to show the spells before it as well. Different coloured flashes of light came out from the tip of his wand, and barely a minute later McGonagall picked up the wand and handed it to him.
"You're free to go, Malfoy. The other students will be going to Hogsmeade today, you may join them if you wish. Do remember that your weeks' worth of work is due by Wednesday morning, and if it's not turned in, you'll be sent back to do another week in Azkaban." After that, her attention immediately went to the stack of mail that sat on her desk.
"So if you've checked everyone's wands and you can't find the culprit, what are you going to do now?" He questioned, interrupting her from her mail.
"Increase security perhaps, I'm not sure. It's none of your concern. Please retreat to your new dormitory, Mr. Malfoy. You need to come across your living accommodations with Miss Granger."
"Oh for the love of Merlin, the Mudblood. Who in their right mind could have paired us together?" His voice bellowed as he walked out of her office, the door slamming hard behind him. Living with a Mudblood, this would have to be worse than Azkaban.
Hermione loved Hogsmeade weekends. Not only because of the antique wizard shops and the people in them, but it was an escape from the castle, a well-needed distraction. Sadly, she wouldn't be having fun like the others because she was going alone.
She began her morning by going to the Great Hall for a bowl of porridge and went to the library to get a book to read. It was about the Azkaban prison, how it was founded, and what happened on the island it sat.
Afterward, she took her time getting ready for the day. She dressed in a simple navy blouse and white shorts. She tried taming her hair but the humid air just wasn't allowing it, so she pulled her hair back into a simple french braid.
Noon finally came around and Hermione was just about to leave when someone started pounding on the door. Who on earth could it be? "Who is it?" She asked nervously.
"Open the door, Granger," Draco yelled from outside.
"Oh, it's you," she muttered darkly opening the door so that he could come in.
"What's the bloody password so I can actually into this hell?" he barked angrily.
He looked horrible. His hair resembled a greasy mop; it reminded her of the way Snape's hair always looked. His clothes were filthy and he smelt of sweat and death. His fingernails had been chewed down so much that his fingers were scabbed.
"You look horrible." She couldn't help but say. People coming out of Azkaban could be very violent, according to the book she just started reading, and even if he had only been there a week, it always mentally affected everyone.
"And you look just as horrible as you always do, Mudblood. So what's the password?"
Then again, maybe it wouldn't affect someone who was already evil. "The password is "feats of feet." While you're here, we need to go over some rules."
Draco scoffed. "The only rules there is going to be is that you're not going to take all day to get ready in the bathroom. Other than that, while one is in there the common room the other will be in their room."
Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "You're not going to be making the rules. The rules were already made for us to follow. Keeping it clean, visitors until eight and sharing the bathroom. That's it."
"Whatever, Mudblood, get out of my -"
"Now listen here," Hermione interrupted him, just as he started to turn away. "I'm not going to deal with this Mudblood name calling every damn time I see you. I am a Muggle, with magic abilities. My blood is not tainted. I'm one of the smarted witches in this school, and my blood status doesn't make a difference. I hate you now and I always will, but you don't see me disrespecting you every second of the day, so stop," her fingers poked hard against his chest after each word, "calling. me. a. Mudblood. Got it?" She was fuming, her cheeks were red and her eyes were ablaze.
"Get away from me, you crazy bitch," he backed away, dusting off where she'd touched him. "I'll call you whatever I want."
"We'll see," was all she said, as she turned to leave the room, the door slamming with a bang.
Oh, how she hated him, the bloody prat. She made her way past the grounds. Students were in groups socializing happily, enjoying the summer day as they waited for carriages.
Hermione stepped into an empty carriage and within seconds three others stepped inside. "Hiya, Hermione. How are you doing?" Seamus asked, taking a seat beside her as Dean and Parvati sat on the opposite side of the carriage.
"Hey guys," she said with a huff, still trying to get over her anger against Malfoy. "I'm okay. I suppose, what about you lot?"
"We're doing great, actually," Parvati smiled. "What are you going to do in Hogsmeade today?" she asked curiously.
"Um, I honestly don't know," Hermione said truly. "Probably just window shop, drink a Butterbeer or something. What about you all?"
"We were going to get a bite to eat Madam Pudifoot's. I heard that she sells an amazing peach tart. It's been years since I've had one," said Dean.
"Hey, Hermione, where are Harry and Ron? I heard a rumour the other day that Harry has to do a month's worth of detention for drinking, is that true?" Seamus curiously asked.
Hermione nodded, a small sigh of relief left her chest that they didn't know what truly happened. "Yeah. Malfoy and I found him drunk in a corridor. He tried to fight Malfoy and out of nowhere appeared Professor McGonagall." She lied.
"Blimey, that's a real shame. So many things have changed since the war. But anywho, you should come to eat with us," Seamus interrupted.
The last thing she wanted to think about was Harry. She'd done her best to try and forget what happened. "You know, Seamus, I would like that," she said with a true smile. A constant chatter started between the four as they made their way to Hogsmeade.
A couple of hours passed as the group window shopped through Hogsmeade. Hermione stopped at a supply store to restock up on some inkwells and parchment and after they stopped at Honeydukes for some sweets, they made their way to Madam Pudifoot's. They found themselves a booth and Hermione sat next to Seamus while Dean sat with Pavarti.
She felt slightly uncomfortable sitting with Seamus. She didn't want him to get the wrong impression for accepting his offer to join them, and most of all, at a place like this where only couples went to. A young waitress came to the table to get the orders. Hermione only ordered herself a tea as she'd recently eaten, while the others ordered themselves coffees and a piece of Peach tart.
The boys began talking about a Quidditch match that was nearing, so this allowed Hermione and Pavarti to talk. "So…" Hermione pondered. "How long have you two been dating? She asked, motioning between Dean and Pavarti.
Pavarti's cheeks reddened slightly. Dean seemed to have overheard Hermione, he wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer to him. "Over the summer," said Pavarti. "My parents had an appointment at Gringotts back in June, and we saw each other in Diagon Alley. He asked me to eat and everything pretty much started there," she said timidly.
Hermione smiled weakly. Almost everyone she knew was dating or recently started dating. The teashop was filled with so many young couples that she was wondered how busy The Three Broomsticks would be. Maybe that's where all the single people were?
"You know," Pavariti whispered quietly. "Seamus isn't seeing anyone. Maybe… you know," she gestured towards Seamus. Hermione's cheeked reddened, not daring to look in his direction, hoping that he hadn't overheard her. "I'm… I'm not looking to be in a relationship right now," Hermione reassured her.
"Hey, you all," said a voice from behind Hermione causing her to jump. She turned around to see Harry, and her heart sunk. She did not want to see him right now. They all exchanged a pair of hellos, and Harry's eyes caught Hermione's. "Do you have a second? I need to talk to you. Outside, please."
Hermione sighed but nodded. She took the last sip of her tea, thanked Seamus and the others for their company, and walked outside with Harry. "Um… Where do you want to go?" Hermione asked.
"Let's go to the Shrieking Shack," said Harry. Hermione's eyes widened slightly, but Harry reassured her just to sit on the property and to be away from everyone else.
They followed the path, walking in silence. Never had Hermione been this nervous to be around Harry before. He was her best friend and she knew that what happened the other night was not truly his intention, but she still felt uneasy.
Once they got to the entrance, they unlocked the gate and walked up the hill. Hermione conjured a blanket once they reached the highest peak, and laid it down for both of them to sit on. They sat in silence for several minutes, watching the movements of everyone down in the village. "I just wanted to apologize to you for what happened. You know I would never do ––something like that to you, drunk or not. Don't you?" He asked her.
Hermione nodded, watching her hands as she fiddled with her fingers in her lap. "I know, Harry. I didn't mean for you to get in trouble. I just thought that it was the Firewhiskey that you'd drank. I begged Malfoy not to tell McGonagall."
Harry nodded. He pulled Hermione into a hug, holding her close against his chest. She tensed at first but finally rested her head on his shoulder. "You know how much I hate that git, but he did the right thing. If it hadn't been reported, who knows how long I could have been under the curse? Maybe McGonagall will increase security. It has to be someone within Hogwarts who done that. But who? The only person I could think of that would be stupid enough to do something like that is Malfoy. He was a Death Eater, after all," Harry trailed.
Hermione shook her head. "I don't think it was him, Harry. He came from the opposite side of the corridor from us, and apart from that, he's paying for what he did in Azkaban. He just got back today. He's been gone all week. I don't think he would do something like that to risk himself to get more time than he already has."
"That's what he gets, the git," Harry said with a snarl.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I'm glad that he found us that night though. I mean, who knows what else could have happened."
Harry sighed. "You know that I would never do that to you, especially against your will, don't you? What happened when we were in the woods…"
"It might not have been a mistake, but it doesn't matter now. You found your happiness, Harry. You're my best friend, and I want you to be happy. That night in the corridor reminded me of what happened in the woods. I used to always get scared that maybe Voldemort would try to evade your mind during those times of intimacy, and I was always scared that something like that would happen when it was just the two of us," Hermione said, a knot began forming in her chest, and she dug her palm into it to try and get it to go away.
Harry started to speak, but she put her fingertips over his lips, causing him to stop. "Your happy now, Harry. You love Ginny, and she loves you. I forgive you for what happened that night, it's fine. It wasn't your intention. I think you should go look for Ginny now. If she finds out that you are alone with me, things will get more out of hand than they already are."
"But Hermione," he grabbed her hand and put it over his chest. "You know that-"
"I know that you love Ginny," she interrupted him. She knew what he would have said if she hadn't. "I'm fine, honestly."
Harry nodded and pulled Hermione into a tight hug. A few tears escaped Hermione's eyes, and she did her best to choke back the rest. Harry rose her head high enough and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I'm always going to love you, Hermione, no matter who there is."
And with that, he waved goodbye and left here there on the hill.
Hermione plopped back down onto the blanket, wrapping her arms around legs, pressing her knees against her eyes as the rest of the tears escaped. It'd been so long since she'd thought about those nights.
They'd both decided to not let those nights of passion that both of them shared to turn into something else. Harry made Hermione promise that she wouldn't tell Ron, because it would end their friendship if he was to find out. And Hermione made Harry promise that he would stay with Ginny because if not, both of them would lose their friends, and they didn't want that.
And she knew if he wasn't with Ginny, there would be no way that they would be able to stay away from each other. Best friends or not, the attraction was already there, and the memories that they shared of the long nights of never-ending passion was a strong reminder of what both of them truly felt.
Hermione stayed at the Shrieking Shack by herself until the sun started going down. She looked down at her watch to see that it was a quarter past seven. The feast was about to end. With a sigh, she made the blanket disappear and walked back towards Hogwarts.
She wasn't in the mood to eat, so she decided that she would go back to the flat. She made her way through the castle, finally making it to the seventh floor. The flat she shared with Draco was at the very end of the corridor. Since she'd been reassigned her new living arrangements, she always thought that if there was ever an emergency, how screwed they'd be. Their flat was literally at a dead end.
"Feats of feet," Hermione said to the door. She stepped inside, closing it behind her. She stopped in her tracks, rubbing her eyes as she tried to adjust her eyesight to the limited light within the sitting room. The only light came from the fireplace to her left, and on the couch set a single silhouette that resembled a statue of marble, strumming a crying guitar.
She walked into the sitting room, taking a seat in an armchair that was near the couch. She took off her shoes and curled up, wrapping a throw around herself. She brought her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her chin on her knees as she watched him.
She'd never seen Draco off guard before. There was so little light in the room that you could barely see the surroundings. However, the paleness of his skin and his silver blond hair shined in the darkness.
The strumming on the guitar began to increase, he sat up straighter. Hermione could see the chiselled muscles of his back flex with each strum he gave to the guitar. His back was covered in thin scars that appeared to be nail marks. What could have caused them?
His fingers strummed so fast against the guitar, she was surprised that they weren't bleeding. The rhythm of its cries was so intense, that a shiver went down Hermione's spine. You could feel the intensity of the pain being released from each note. "Dammit," Draco growled as the music abruptly stopped.
The music stopped at once, and Draco threw the guitar against the couch, standing up, stomping at the ground. A cord had broken, and he seemed to have injured himself. One hand raked through his hair, and his mouth sucked on the tip of his middle finger on his other hand. Hermione could see that blood stained his lips, and she quivered, standing up.
She'd never seen him without a shirt before, or any boy except for Harry, and man was it a sight. You could tell that he'd lost weight at how thin he was, but every muscle starting from his shoulders to his chest, to his abdomen were carvings of perfection. "I can help you with that," Hermione said, trying to distract herself from the hot wave that'd invaded her body. She caused Draco to jump back so far that he almost tripped over the coffee table.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Malfoy snapped, regaining his balance. "How long have you been here?"
"I live here too, you know," Hermione snapped back, walking over to him. "I've only been here a few minutes. Do you need help?" She asked.
"I don't need the help of a Mudblood," He scoffed, putting pressure on his finger as he attempted to make the bleeding stop.
That was it. "You know what? I am so tired of this," Hermione exclaimed. She took out her wand, whispering an enchantment that caused deep gashes to rip into her arm, blood seeping out fast.
"DO YOU SEE THIS BLOOD?!" She screamed a little too loud as the pain finally hit her. She smacked her wand hand over the cuts, covering her hand in blood. She broke the distance between them and smacked her hand hard against his naked chest, then hard across his cheek.
"DO YOU SEE IT?" She screamed again. "IT'S JUST LIKE YOURS! It's the same filthy -," Her voice choked. Draco stood there, stunned, his eyes as wide as sickles. "It's the same as yours. There's no…no difference," her voiced turned into a whisper until she fell to her knees.
She covered her hand over one of the cuts, then looked at it. The blood dripped in streams down her arm. She looked at the gashes, and they reminded her of the Mudblood scar she received from Draco's Aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. Her head began to spin as the overwhelming smell of hot metal took over her. She hated the sight and smell of blood.
"Dammit Granger," snapped Draco as he dropped to the floor, catching her before she fell over. He picked her up and laid her down onto the couch after moving his guitar. Hermione tried to push him away, but her head was spinning so fast that she felt like she was on a round-about and was about to vomit.
"You see…" she stammered. "My blood is just like… yours," she barely finished before she fainted.
Draco muttered a mouthful of profanities as he took his wand out of the pocket of his silk trousers. He muttered a spell to fix his finger, and then he took Hermione's arm into his hand and chanted "Vulnera Sanentur." The wounds slowly stopped bleeding and finally began to knit themselves closed.
He got up and walked to his room, and went straight to his trunk. He pulled out a small box that resembled a jewelry box, but once it was opened it was filled with many different vials of potions. He took one with cloudy grey liquid, and walked back to the loveseat, sitting beside Hermione.
He uncorked the vial, and grabbed her chin, opening her mouth enough to discard the contents into her mouth. He then began to massage her up and down her trachea to make her swallow.
"Come on, Granger," Draco said impatiently, his hand trembling as he shook her shoulder. If someone was to come here and see her like this, they would blame him and he would be sent to Azkaban for good.
Hermione started coughing and took a deep gasp of air before her eyes opened, looking at Draco. She looked down to her arm and saw that the wounds were almost closed, and then back up at him. His once worried face now carried a scowl. "What the hell were you thinking? You could have bled out!" He snapped, pushing hard against her shoulder.
Hermione shook her head, trying to curl away from him. "I'm so tired of you calling me a Mudblood. Did you see enough? Did you see any filth seeping from my wounds as I bled?"
Draco rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he stood up from the couch. "That's not what a Mudblood means, Granger."
Hermione scoffed, standing up, using the couch as a prop because she was still light-headed. "I know the definition, Malfoy. Just because I don't come from a long lineage of wizards like you, doesn't mean that I don't have the right to be respected as a witch. I may be a Muggle-born, but I've worked for my ass off to learn what it is to be a true witch, Pureblood or not."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't care about you've worked for, Granger. So, if you'll excuse me," He reached for his guitar that was on the table. Hermione took a few steps back to get out of his way, but her head began to spin again. Just as she began to fall back, he grabbed her and pulled her with such force that she crashed into him, causing both of them to fall back onto the couch, her on top of him.
She placed both of her hands onto his chest pushing herself up just as he lifted his body, his hands had met her hips to push her off. This caused Hermione to grind accidentally against his waist, causing a hot groan to escape Draco's throat. Both of their cheeks flushed red as their eyes met, and Draco quickly stood up. Hermione watched as he readjusted his trousers that had lowered low below his waist.
"S-Sorry," stammered Hermione as her eyes met his again, breaking her gaze from the growing bulge from underneath them. Draco turned swiftly without a word and went straight to the bathroom, the door slamming behind him.
Hermione shook her head, resting her head in her hands. "What a day," she said with a groan.
.:: //Green Eyed Shadow\\ ::.