Chapter 8: A talk
"Harry wait up!" Hermione called after Harry, who was storming away back to the Gryffindor tower.
Harry didn't turn around.
"Harry please wait!"
But Harry couldn't hear Hermione; he was too upset at himself for having to be a showoff and losing the game.
Hermione slowed her pace, 'I guess he needs to be alone now', she thought.
Hermione stopped then remembered she'd left her book in her rush after Harry.
She made her way over to the Quidditch pitch, under the bleacher was her book, she left the pitch, and started to jog back towards the castle.
Even though it was Saturday she still wanted to start working on an essay before dinner.
'You have two weeks before it's due' Hermione reminded herself.
Her intellectual side argued back, 'don't put off today what could be done for tomorrow'
'That's not how the saying goes'
'I improved it'
"Oh forget it!" Hermione sharply muttered out loud.
She saw an orangey tinge on the ground surrounding her shadow, the days were getting shorter.
Hermione turned and saw the sun and the sky turning into pink with purple clouds hanging low.
'There's only one place to go and enjoy this'
She turned and walked back to her tree by the lake.
When she got there she saw her spot had been occupied.
"Draco what are you doing here?"
"You know I could answer that question two ways," Draco said without turning to look away from the lake, "1 I could say 'it's called sitting stupid' or 2 I could say 'just thinking', which do you prefer?
"Well no one likes to be called stupid and it is obvious that you're sitting. "
"In that case, I'm just thinking Hermione", Draco turned to her without any real expression on his face but his eyes were the saddest thing Hermione had ever seen.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all, unless you want to go off and start raving at me about something I did to Potter during the game", Draco said with a half grin.
Hermione shook her head as she sat down next to him, and leaned back against the tree.
"Why would I criticize you when you won without cheating? Unless you did? Did you?" Hermione quickly turn toward Draco to give him an evil eye.
"You know something? You could pass for a Slytherin with that glare", Draco looked back at her intently, before turning to look at the water again.
"You didn't answer the question", Hermione pressed, she wasn't going to be distracted by sort of a compliment.
"You're hard to distract, and no I didn't do anything to make me win."
"Why are you here, shouldn't you be at a party, throwing darts at a picture of Harry?"
Draco laughed, before answering back, "You must really think I'm evil, throwing darts at people's pictures." He sighed and continued, still not looking at her, "of course I'm happy to have won, I made my appearances to adoring fans, but once the party started I stepped back from the crowd," he turned to look at her again, with those sad eyes, "I went to change I came back and no one knew I was gone or back, they couldn't careless about me, they only care about winning and themselves."
"So you're upset that they didn't dote on you more?" Hermione said trying to understand.
"No that's not it, it's just that all those people who know me don't, and everyone who I've called a friend has only been a friend to help themselves."
Draco put his hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes, and he continued.
"I just realized that then, and it made me wonder about everyone I've ever known, even my parents! They don't love me they needed me I'm not wanted by them, I could tell from the way my father talked to me, like I was an object to be had, not wanted."
Hermione tried to cut in but he waved his hand to stop her.
Draco continued saying, "Look don't say anything please, I just need to tell someone, anyone about this and you're available, and don't try to say anything such as 'of course your parents love you' because you don't know them. See you're different; you have nothing to gain by acting nice towards me. You're friends with Harry Potter! Draco Malfoy is a nothing, and with the way I've always treated you I deserve to be treated that way, but you don't I can't understand it"
Hermione noticed that his voice wavered a bit. She knew he was hurting but she also knew that Draco showing this much emotion it was very embarrassing for him, but he couldn't help it.
The sun was now dipping its toes into the water, the orange sky was brilliant, but Hermione didn't notice, she just saw a young man who was still very much a boy in some ways.
Hermione didn't say anything; she just knelt sideways and leaned against him wrapping her arms around him.
He'd moved into a protective stance, knees drawn up to his chest, his head leaning against them.
As soon as Draco felt a weight pressed against his side, and felt an arm coil behind his back, he lifted his head a bit and turned to look at her.
Hermione had turned her head sideways and was leaning against his shoulder with her eyes closed, he saw tears clinging to her eyelashes, or he thought they were tears, he had a few of his own marring his vision. Her lips were rosy and seemed to be moving with silent words.
Draco lowered his head again, and then he heard the word being whispered by Hermione.
She kept repeating the same phrases over again.
"You're not nothing, you're a good person, don't ever think less of yourself, I chose you I wanted to"
Draco felt more of the stinging sensation that came with trying to hold back tears.
Hermione lifted her head when she felt Draco shudder. She opened her eyes, before nuzzling her head against his shoulder again.
"You can cry I won't tell, I promise you"
She felt hot tears against her arm, which was clasping Draco in the front, she held him tighter slowly rocked back and forth.
The sun had disappeared now, and as sky started to fade with the afterglow of sunset, they clung to each other for awhile after.
"Harry wait up!" Hermione called after Harry, who was storming away back to the Gryffindor tower.
Harry didn't turn around.
"Harry please wait!"
But Harry couldn't hear Hermione; he was too upset at himself for having to be a showoff and losing the game.
Hermione slowed her pace, 'I guess he needs to be alone now', she thought.
Hermione stopped then remembered she'd left her book in her rush after Harry.
She made her way over to the Quidditch pitch, under the bleacher was her book, she left the pitch, and started to jog back towards the castle.
Even though it was Saturday she still wanted to start working on an essay before dinner.
'You have two weeks before it's due' Hermione reminded herself.
Her intellectual side argued back, 'don't put off today what could be done for tomorrow'
'That's not how the saying goes'
'I improved it'
"Oh forget it!" Hermione sharply muttered out loud.
She saw an orangey tinge on the ground surrounding her shadow, the days were getting shorter.
Hermione turned and saw the sun and the sky turning into pink with purple clouds hanging low.
'There's only one place to go and enjoy this'
She turned and walked back to her tree by the lake.
When she got there she saw her spot had been occupied.
"Draco what are you doing here?"
"You know I could answer that question two ways," Draco said without turning to look away from the lake, "1 I could say 'it's called sitting stupid' or 2 I could say 'just thinking', which do you prefer?
"Well no one likes to be called stupid and it is obvious that you're sitting. "
"In that case, I'm just thinking Hermione", Draco turned to her without any real expression on his face but his eyes were the saddest thing Hermione had ever seen.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
"Not at all, unless you want to go off and start raving at me about something I did to Potter during the game", Draco said with a half grin.
Hermione shook her head as she sat down next to him, and leaned back against the tree.
"Why would I criticize you when you won without cheating? Unless you did? Did you?" Hermione quickly turn toward Draco to give him an evil eye.
"You know something? You could pass for a Slytherin with that glare", Draco looked back at her intently, before turning to look at the water again.
"You didn't answer the question", Hermione pressed, she wasn't going to be distracted by sort of a compliment.
"You're hard to distract, and no I didn't do anything to make me win."
"Why are you here, shouldn't you be at a party, throwing darts at a picture of Harry?"
Draco laughed, before answering back, "You must really think I'm evil, throwing darts at people's pictures." He sighed and continued, still not looking at her, "of course I'm happy to have won, I made my appearances to adoring fans, but once the party started I stepped back from the crowd," he turned to look at her again, with those sad eyes, "I went to change I came back and no one knew I was gone or back, they couldn't careless about me, they only care about winning and themselves."
"So you're upset that they didn't dote on you more?" Hermione said trying to understand.
"No that's not it, it's just that all those people who know me don't, and everyone who I've called a friend has only been a friend to help themselves."
Draco put his hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes, and he continued.
"I just realized that then, and it made me wonder about everyone I've ever known, even my parents! They don't love me they needed me I'm not wanted by them, I could tell from the way my father talked to me, like I was an object to be had, not wanted."
Hermione tried to cut in but he waved his hand to stop her.
Draco continued saying, "Look don't say anything please, I just need to tell someone, anyone about this and you're available, and don't try to say anything such as 'of course your parents love you' because you don't know them. See you're different; you have nothing to gain by acting nice towards me. You're friends with Harry Potter! Draco Malfoy is a nothing, and with the way I've always treated you I deserve to be treated that way, but you don't I can't understand it"
Hermione noticed that his voice wavered a bit. She knew he was hurting but she also knew that Draco showing this much emotion it was very embarrassing for him, but he couldn't help it.
The sun was now dipping its toes into the water, the orange sky was brilliant, but Hermione didn't notice, she just saw a young man who was still very much a boy in some ways.
Hermione didn't say anything; she just knelt sideways and leaned against him wrapping her arms around him.
He'd moved into a protective stance, knees drawn up to his chest, his head leaning against them.
As soon as Draco felt a weight pressed against his side, and felt an arm coil behind his back, he lifted his head a bit and turned to look at her.
Hermione had turned her head sideways and was leaning against his shoulder with her eyes closed, he saw tears clinging to her eyelashes, or he thought they were tears, he had a few of his own marring his vision. Her lips were rosy and seemed to be moving with silent words.
Draco lowered his head again, and then he heard the word being whispered by Hermione.
She kept repeating the same phrases over again.
"You're not nothing, you're a good person, don't ever think less of yourself, I chose you I wanted to"
Draco felt more of the stinging sensation that came with trying to hold back tears.
Hermione lifted her head when she felt Draco shudder. She opened her eyes, before nuzzling her head against his shoulder again.
"You can cry I won't tell, I promise you"
She felt hot tears against her arm, which was clasping Draco in the front, she held him tighter slowly rocked back and forth.
The sun had disappeared now, and as sky started to fade with the afterglow of sunset, they clung to each other for awhile after.