Chapter Thirty-One
The sound of birdsong and the feeling of damp, warm air appealed to Hermione's senses.
After last night, she knew what she needed was some time by the lake and one of her favorite books.
The sun warmed everything around her, but somehow she still felt a chill. Another almost sleepless night had gone by, with her thoughts once again occupied by Draco and the strange mess he had gotten them into.
No matter how often or how meticulously she turned the past few months over in her head, none of it made sense.
Even given Draco's semi-confession last night, her mind was still coming up with questions. Clarification for things—the tiniest of things—would surely ease her mind.
Or so she thought.
The early dawn, unlike her thoughts, passed peacefully. With the sky beginning to brighten, she knew it was time to head back to the castle.
Hermione was enjoying her breakfast. The sounds of silverware clinking together and hushed conversations eased her frazzled nerves.
Though she'd had time in the early dawn to think, she was still turning last night's conversation over in her mind.
Last night felt different. As though something imperceptible had shifted between them.
She was hesitant to glance toward the Slytherin table, lest it all be some strange dream.
The thought faded from her mind as she noticed a certain Hufflepuff striding up to the Gryffindor table.
"Morning, everyone," Cedric greeted their half of the table as he occupied the seat next to her.
He settled in amongst them as if he had always belonged.
She still wasn't used to seeing him casually making his way around the castle, but nonetheless, she was grateful for his presence now.
As the conversation between Cedric and other inhabitants of the table began, she found herself slowly relaxing.
If she tried hard enough, she could still hear the shuffling and commotion of the Great Hall behind her as students headed to their singular class for the day.
Breakfast had just ended, and as much as she had enjoyed it, she hadn't bothered to stay in the Great Hall for a moment longer.
She'd gathered her bookbag and made her way through the castle.
As she walked, she skimmed her fingers against her Potions textbook. The feeling of the cracked, rough leather calmed her thoughts.
Class wasn't set to begin for another hour, but for some reason she was drawn to the cramped and dreary classroom.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she spied her shared worktable. A sudden movement caused her to jump in surprise.
She nearly choked as she noticed Draco sitting in his usual seat next to hers.
Coughs wracked her throat and she struggled to breathe, but she eventually caught her breath.
"Draco, what are you doing here?" He glanced towards her briefly before redirecting his attention.
"What does it look like I'm doing here?"
That same indifferent, biting tone. She was preparing to leave when Draco's answer from last night flashed through her mind.
She fought the bitterness his tone evoked in her, choosing to step further into the room.
As she neared their workstation, she noticed an assortment of papers scattered on the table. She was close enough now to sit next to him, but chose to stand.
Five or six pages of parchment were stacked on top of one another, each one different from the last.
Some were halfway done, whereas others were a complete page of neat, immaculate handwriting. Some hadn't been started at all.
A few crumpled or torn pages were strewn about the floor. The one thing they all had in common was the title.
Potions Essay Rough Draft.
Wordlessly, she moved the stool that stood between them out of the way. Hermione set her book bag onto the floor, briefly stooping down to retrieve an inkpot and quill.
She felt like if she breathed too forcefully or spoke too loud, it would shatter whatever courage she had mustered up.
She retrieved a blank piece of parchment from Draco's side of the table.
With her other hand, she slid the haphazard stack of parchment to the other side of the table.
Without prompting, Draco began to write the title at the top of the parchment, almost an exact copy of the previous iterations.
It was only when he stopped writing that she noticed he was shaking.
Gently, she placed a hand on his left shoulder. The quill began to tremble so violently that she thought it would break.
Just before it snapped into two, Draco's shaking ceased. She released his shoulder, gingerly wrapping her right arm around his back.
Draco froze completely. It was like she was holding onto a brick wall.
For a moment, she panicked. She wondered if this was too much, if it would be misconstrued—or worse, if he was angry with her—but then his head rested against hers.
She felt something slide against her back and then rest on her shoulder. Dimly, she realized it was his left hand.
As moments passed, Draco's grip intensified until he was holding her against him.
If she wanted, she could have easily broken out of his grip—but the thought hadn't once crossed her mind.
"I was worried, you know. About you."
The words felt so heavy compared to the previous silence that had occupied the room. For some reason, his words brought tears to her eyes.
She tried to blink them away, but they'd already fallen. Almost instantly, more followed, tears beginning to stream down her face.
She had no idea why she was crying, let alone why she was hugging him.
"You're messing up the parchment, Hermione."
She wanted to smack him. She turned her head, prepared to question his priorities, when their eyes met.
His eyes were full of emotion, ebbing and changing as the seconds passed. The sharp reply she'd thought of died on her tongue.
She held his gaze for a moment longer before turning back to the parchment.
Draco slowly released the quill, his hand balled into a fist on top of the table.
They stayed that way until the last possible moment, separating as footsteps began to echo down the hall.
Author's Note:
It's been quite some time, and I apologize for that. I was in my last two semesters of college and as much as I adore this story and Harry Potter as a whole, I needed to focus. Now I have graduated and I have lots more time on my hands as I search for a job.
Of course, my main focus is finding a job. However, in order to complete this chapter, I had to go back and read some of the previous chapters to remember what was going on (how embarrassing! I should know, as the author) and it reminded me of how much I really do love writing.
With that being said, as of right now I will try to continue to update the story. The release of new chapters may be slower, or chapters may be shorter, but I'm going to try my best. I really enjoy this hobby and hated to make you guys wait so long for the chapter.
I checked in occasionally and it warmed my heart to know that people were still waiting. Conversely, I also felt extremely guilty for making y'all wait. Therefore, the hiatus is over but the pacing of updates will be irregular. Thank you for your support! I will see y'all soon with Chapter Thirty Two :)