She turned to face him, his words were still shimmering in her
ears lambent accusation threaded through them like metallic threads. It
disrupted the moment of pure peace she'd felt at seeing Draco again, at
finally recovering some of the good memories of childhood that she'd
locked away with her memories of him.
From her time with, others, she knew that his home life had gone
as fast downhill as her own after she'd been sent away. It was a weight
of guilt against her soul, and always would be.
"Yes I've known Draco a long time"
Hermoine was watching her, that fine mind ticking along behind her eyes.
"Malfoy said he hadn't seen you in nine years"
That was Ron, it wouldn't do to underestimate him just because he was blunt
in asking his questions, he'd been around both of his friends long enough
to know what to ask, plus the fact that he had to have a mind lurking
behind that innocent facade.
"We were, what's the phrase, children together"
She watched Hermoine this time, those eyes had fitted the puzzle together
admirably and were just waiting to ask the question. There it formed and
now it had flown.
"You lived with the Malfoy's, and then you went somewhere else, and now
you're running again, if its the darkness you're running from I wouldn't
trust Professor Snape"
Harry stepped in at that moment, his eyes dark like flawed emeralds
"No, you can trust him, but not Draco Malfoy"
She felt her own anger start to uncurl like heat along her spine, feeling
its way through her veins like poison, her control was frayed this close
to time.
"I will trust who I wish, I trusted you without proof did I not"
The slightly caustic hiss along her words seemed to startle them, but
it didn't startle her, she needed to be away. But not too far, she stalked
to the table where Ron's things were and pulled a piece of parchment from
his bag and borrowed one of his quills sending him a look that mingled
please and thank you. Before beginning the essay, ignoring the huddled
group a little way from her.
***
"What did we do?"
Hermoine was really upset, he could see it in her eyes, she didn't
make friends easily and by the sound of their laughter earlier she and
Ama had already become close. Ron was watching Ama a she wrote
silhouetted in the light from the window, but he didn't answer, Harry
though, thought he could.
"We attacked Malfoy"
Ron looked at him as if he was mad.
"So what? Malfoy deserves every attack he gets, bloody sod"
He almost laughed but looking over at Ama and seeing the lines
of stress that had almost disappeared back on her face sobered him faster
than any detention could.
"But perhaps not when Ama's around, hmm"
Looking at Hermoine he smiled, she always had the right idea
she'd be a great person when she figured out the inner workings of
diplomacy, he nodded to her.
"Exactly"
A bell chimed overhead and her heard Ama curse under her breath,
He looked over and made a motion with his hand, she stood, returning
Ron's quill to his bag and rolling the parchment as she walked.
"Perhaps we took a bit too much on ourselves, sorry"
A half smile flashed in her eyes as she tucked her essay into the
open top of his bag.
"Not a problem, it happens all the time, misjudgement, speaking without
knowing that person, don't you find?"
Her eyebrow had crooked at that, those bruised eyes seeming to
see his soul and he winced. How he'd hated being The Boy Who Lived,
despised every moment of attention from people who didn't know him. And
that attention had been good, but Draco Malfoy....
"He's changed since you knew him"
Her eyes closed for a moment as if against pain, when they
opened again the darkness had gathered in her pupils spreading them
against her eyes, the purple a mere ring.
"I know"
She turned away from him for a moment as if to hide from the
past, or to turn from whatever she had seen with those odd eyes.
"What now?"
She threw that question at Hermoine as if to get away from him,
but Hermoine seemed happy enough,
"Defence against the Dark Arts, practical session"
He watched her stiffen.
"Perhaps I'd better not go to this session, if its practical, after all
I'm not on timetable"
Hermoine was playing at being blithely oblivious, but he caught
her eye and nodded, no one should be afraid of Defence Against the Dark
Arts, especially not when professor Lupin had returned at Dumbledore's
request to teach it.
"Professor Lupin won't mind, after all you're new, no one can blame you"
He watched her nod as if it was against her better judgement and
then they moved out of the library, he hoped that what they were doing
was right and pushing her against he judgement didn't mean something bad
was going to happen.
ears lambent accusation threaded through them like metallic threads. It
disrupted the moment of pure peace she'd felt at seeing Draco again, at
finally recovering some of the good memories of childhood that she'd
locked away with her memories of him.
From her time with, others, she knew that his home life had gone
as fast downhill as her own after she'd been sent away. It was a weight
of guilt against her soul, and always would be.
"Yes I've known Draco a long time"
Hermoine was watching her, that fine mind ticking along behind her eyes.
"Malfoy said he hadn't seen you in nine years"
That was Ron, it wouldn't do to underestimate him just because he was blunt
in asking his questions, he'd been around both of his friends long enough
to know what to ask, plus the fact that he had to have a mind lurking
behind that innocent facade.
"We were, what's the phrase, children together"
She watched Hermoine this time, those eyes had fitted the puzzle together
admirably and were just waiting to ask the question. There it formed and
now it had flown.
"You lived with the Malfoy's, and then you went somewhere else, and now
you're running again, if its the darkness you're running from I wouldn't
trust Professor Snape"
Harry stepped in at that moment, his eyes dark like flawed emeralds
"No, you can trust him, but not Draco Malfoy"
She felt her own anger start to uncurl like heat along her spine, feeling
its way through her veins like poison, her control was frayed this close
to time.
"I will trust who I wish, I trusted you without proof did I not"
The slightly caustic hiss along her words seemed to startle them, but
it didn't startle her, she needed to be away. But not too far, she stalked
to the table where Ron's things were and pulled a piece of parchment from
his bag and borrowed one of his quills sending him a look that mingled
please and thank you. Before beginning the essay, ignoring the huddled
group a little way from her.
***
"What did we do?"
Hermoine was really upset, he could see it in her eyes, she didn't
make friends easily and by the sound of their laughter earlier she and
Ama had already become close. Ron was watching Ama a she wrote
silhouetted in the light from the window, but he didn't answer, Harry
though, thought he could.
"We attacked Malfoy"
Ron looked at him as if he was mad.
"So what? Malfoy deserves every attack he gets, bloody sod"
He almost laughed but looking over at Ama and seeing the lines
of stress that had almost disappeared back on her face sobered him faster
than any detention could.
"But perhaps not when Ama's around, hmm"
Looking at Hermoine he smiled, she always had the right idea
she'd be a great person when she figured out the inner workings of
diplomacy, he nodded to her.
"Exactly"
A bell chimed overhead and her heard Ama curse under her breath,
He looked over and made a motion with his hand, she stood, returning
Ron's quill to his bag and rolling the parchment as she walked.
"Perhaps we took a bit too much on ourselves, sorry"
A half smile flashed in her eyes as she tucked her essay into the
open top of his bag.
"Not a problem, it happens all the time, misjudgement, speaking without
knowing that person, don't you find?"
Her eyebrow had crooked at that, those bruised eyes seeming to
see his soul and he winced. How he'd hated being The Boy Who Lived,
despised every moment of attention from people who didn't know him. And
that attention had been good, but Draco Malfoy....
"He's changed since you knew him"
Her eyes closed for a moment as if against pain, when they
opened again the darkness had gathered in her pupils spreading them
against her eyes, the purple a mere ring.
"I know"
She turned away from him for a moment as if to hide from the
past, or to turn from whatever she had seen with those odd eyes.
"What now?"
She threw that question at Hermoine as if to get away from him,
but Hermoine seemed happy enough,
"Defence against the Dark Arts, practical session"
He watched her stiffen.
"Perhaps I'd better not go to this session, if its practical, after all
I'm not on timetable"
Hermoine was playing at being blithely oblivious, but he caught
her eye and nodded, no one should be afraid of Defence Against the Dark
Arts, especially not when professor Lupin had returned at Dumbledore's
request to teach it.
"Professor Lupin won't mind, after all you're new, no one can blame you"
He watched her nod as if it was against her better judgement and
then they moved out of the library, he hoped that what they were doing
was right and pushing her against he judgement didn't mean something bad
was going to happen.
