Ben and Hermione whirled, wands out. Susan held up both hands. "Calm down,
you two, I'm here to help."
Hermione found her voice first. "How did you-?"
Susan coughed. "I was in the kitchen, ah, provisioning, when you came through, miss witch on a mission."
"And you followed her?" Ben asked.
"Of course."
"Why? And where did you get the cloak?" Hermione knew of only one Invisibility Cloak in Hogwarts, and she did not think it likely that Harry would lend it to Susan, no matter how much he loved her.
"Because you don't skulk about, Hermione, so I knew something must be up. And what do you think Mum hid me in? Come on." Susan and Ben took the lead as he filled her in on where they were headed and why, relegating Hermione to rear guard, a position she was not accustomed to.
She ran between them. "Wait a minute. Are you 'sure' it's the Astronomy Tower he meant?"
Ben stuck the parchment in front of her nose. Susan leaned over to look. "'Elven-stars', see? And 'beyond all towers'. 'Stars forever dwell'. Honestly, 'Mione, what I want to know is how Draco Malfoy got his hands on a copy of 'The Lord of the Rings'. Hmm?"
"Oh. He came for a visit, Christmas of our fifth year, and I took him to a Muggle bookshop, among other places. I think he bought it there, because he thought he could smuggle it home. I've never read it, but it does look quite like a tome of Dark Magic, you know."
"Yeah." Ben nodded, grinning, "it does."
The straight stairways began to twist, spiraling upwards, and Hermione was remembering another winter night's trip to the Astronomy Tower with a baby dragon named Norbert when the stairs stopped, and the stone fanned out into the wide platform that marked the very tip of Hogwarts.
Hermione and Susan gasped together. Ben swore under his breath at the scene that lay before them. The stone floor was packed with people wearing furs and wary expressions. Several were prone, in various states of health and consciousness, with others bending over them. One of these, bent over in front of the stairwell, looked up as the three came up the stairs.
An old bruise highlighted the sharp line of his left cheekbone, sulfurous yellow against skin that was much paler than Hermione remembered. His hair and fur robes disheveled, making her wonder how he had gotten his little band away from Durmstrang. But the eyes were the same, and now they caught hers with an expression somewhere between fear and hope in their silver depths. Hermione lunged at him, and Draco Malfoy caught her, moving with a controlled grace and the speed of a striking snake. A serpent's strength was his, as well, and he crushed her to him. Hermione buried her face in his robes and let their fur catch her tears before she pulled away, eyes shining, to look at him.
He refused to let go of her, and the strange look had not left his eyes. "Draco, what's wrong? It's me."
His eyes were bright with tears that pride would not let him shed. "You came to me so many times," he whispered. "So many times, but I could never hold you to make you stay, and I would never stay long enough for me to kiss you. I- may I kiss you?"
"As if you have to ask." Draco wiped the tears of her face with his thumbs, twining long fingers in her curls, and drew her mouth gently to his own. The world stopped, and neither of them drew back until their heads were pounding with lack of oxygen.
Draco looked past Hermione, and she looked past him, both of them straightening. Hermione had seen Ben and Susan, wands out, seeing to some of the injured guests.
Draco had seen the toe of a ragged sneaker, with no heel or leg in sight. He lunged forward, grabbing by instinct. His hand caught something, very there and very invisible. "Potter," he growled, and pulled the Invisibility Cloak off his captive.
Or captives. It 'was' Harry Potter. It was also Ron Weasley, whose two meter frame had not quite been covered by Harry's cloak.
Hermione found her voice first. "How did you-?"
Susan coughed. "I was in the kitchen, ah, provisioning, when you came through, miss witch on a mission."
"And you followed her?" Ben asked.
"Of course."
"Why? And where did you get the cloak?" Hermione knew of only one Invisibility Cloak in Hogwarts, and she did not think it likely that Harry would lend it to Susan, no matter how much he loved her.
"Because you don't skulk about, Hermione, so I knew something must be up. And what do you think Mum hid me in? Come on." Susan and Ben took the lead as he filled her in on where they were headed and why, relegating Hermione to rear guard, a position she was not accustomed to.
She ran between them. "Wait a minute. Are you 'sure' it's the Astronomy Tower he meant?"
Ben stuck the parchment in front of her nose. Susan leaned over to look. "'Elven-stars', see? And 'beyond all towers'. 'Stars forever dwell'. Honestly, 'Mione, what I want to know is how Draco Malfoy got his hands on a copy of 'The Lord of the Rings'. Hmm?"
"Oh. He came for a visit, Christmas of our fifth year, and I took him to a Muggle bookshop, among other places. I think he bought it there, because he thought he could smuggle it home. I've never read it, but it does look quite like a tome of Dark Magic, you know."
"Yeah." Ben nodded, grinning, "it does."
The straight stairways began to twist, spiraling upwards, and Hermione was remembering another winter night's trip to the Astronomy Tower with a baby dragon named Norbert when the stairs stopped, and the stone fanned out into the wide platform that marked the very tip of Hogwarts.
Hermione and Susan gasped together. Ben swore under his breath at the scene that lay before them. The stone floor was packed with people wearing furs and wary expressions. Several were prone, in various states of health and consciousness, with others bending over them. One of these, bent over in front of the stairwell, looked up as the three came up the stairs.
An old bruise highlighted the sharp line of his left cheekbone, sulfurous yellow against skin that was much paler than Hermione remembered. His hair and fur robes disheveled, making her wonder how he had gotten his little band away from Durmstrang. But the eyes were the same, and now they caught hers with an expression somewhere between fear and hope in their silver depths. Hermione lunged at him, and Draco Malfoy caught her, moving with a controlled grace and the speed of a striking snake. A serpent's strength was his, as well, and he crushed her to him. Hermione buried her face in his robes and let their fur catch her tears before she pulled away, eyes shining, to look at him.
He refused to let go of her, and the strange look had not left his eyes. "Draco, what's wrong? It's me."
His eyes were bright with tears that pride would not let him shed. "You came to me so many times," he whispered. "So many times, but I could never hold you to make you stay, and I would never stay long enough for me to kiss you. I- may I kiss you?"
"As if you have to ask." Draco wiped the tears of her face with his thumbs, twining long fingers in her curls, and drew her mouth gently to his own. The world stopped, and neither of them drew back until their heads were pounding with lack of oxygen.
Draco looked past Hermione, and she looked past him, both of them straightening. Hermione had seen Ben and Susan, wands out, seeing to some of the injured guests.
Draco had seen the toe of a ragged sneaker, with no heel or leg in sight. He lunged forward, grabbing by instinct. His hand caught something, very there and very invisible. "Potter," he growled, and pulled the Invisibility Cloak off his captive.
Or captives. It 'was' Harry Potter. It was also Ron Weasley, whose two meter frame had not quite been covered by Harry's cloak.