They had been walking, not quite side by side for the greater part of the day. The rain, a reflection of their current emotional state, soaked them and caused the stream to rise as they walked on either side of it. Hermione thought it to be a frighteningly accurate representation of their situation; divided by war, on opposing sides: each tired and miserable: and striding in the direction of victory. It was only a matter of who would cross the finish line first.
She walked with her wand casually in her hand, ready, but off guard to say the least. They had fallen into a peaceful lull since the morning's awkwardness.
"Granger, there's a hole in the rocks over there."
She nodded in response and hopped across the stream, joining him as he approached it.
"Lumos," she said, giving her wand a jerk and the tip lit up brightly as they entered the shallow, cave-like opening covered in dark green moss.
"It's a rock shelter," explained Hermione.
"I can see that," he shook the water from his hair.
"No, it's a type of cave," she clarified. "They played an important role in muggle history. Archaeology has demonstrated that prehistoric muggles often used them as living spaces, leaving behind tools, artifacts and at times wall paintings."
He looked around a moment, attentive to her words without allowing himself to appear interested.
Hermione fell silent at being brushed off and after a while they found themselves leaning on opposing walls of the cave, watching the rainfall outside.
A growling from her abdomen broke the silence.
"We really should think about food," she said pocketing her wand and reaching into her bag. She pulled out a snack and took a bite before noticing his look of disdain.
"What?"
"You're disgusting. Actually eating compressed grain packaged in…what is that? Paper and aluminum foil?"
"I believe so actually."
He raised his nose at her, "sickening."
She shrugged her shoulder and took another bite.
His stomach grumbled. Her lips upturned.
"You sure you don't want some?"
"Hard pass."
"Have it your way," she said, this time moaning loudly as she chewed.
Draco felt humiliated.
There she was, contently eating her substandard muggle nutrition, acting haughty and rubbing it in his starving face.
After watching her take a couple more bites, he took a couple of steps toward her.
She pulled the bar away from him before he could grab it.
"I thought you weren't hungry enough to lower yourself to muggle snacks."
"Well I am now," he snapped.
"Alright," she said, "on one condition."
He glared at her.
"I want you to admit that we are not so different, if only in that aspect."
"What aspect?" he growled
"We are both humans, in need of nutrition to survive."
"Oh, come on," he turned away from her.
"If only in that aspect," she repeated.
He threw his arms out, "look I never said you weren't human, of course you're going to get hungry. Like every. Other. Animal." He emphasized.
"You haven't treated me like one. Another human being, that is."
"You still don't get it, do you?" He stepped back into her personal space. "Some humans are just better than others."
"Let's entertain that idea," she said, her annoyance at his arrogance beginning to bubble.
"You think me human. But a lesser human. Remind me again. Where is my place?"
"Six feet under-"
"I mean strictly speaking from your point of view, to be rid of those individuals would be a waste of talent, wouldn't it? The house of Slytherin values resourcefulness and ambition. I am intelligent. I've bested you in several, if not all, scholarly subjects." His face darkened at the reminder. "And I'm not an exception to my kind either. There have been several muggle-born witches and wizards throughout history that have contributed amazing feats that we still use in today's regular wizarding society. If they had all been enslaved or dead, we wouldn't have what we do today."
"A proper wizard or witch would have figured it out eventually."
Hermione sighed.
"Are you not sick of this?'
"Sick of what?" he said irked, "sick of being tied up like your lapdog? Sick of always being told what to do? Sick of being bested by someone who is obviously stealing magic from others?"
"What?" She snorted, "how on earth could I do that?"
"Mudbloods have been doing it for years."
"That's impossible and outlandish," she said, choking back a laugh as her brows creased.
"It's well recorded actually. During the first wizarding war, several muggle-borns were seen running out of magic in the middle of the battlefields. Those who survived retreated, where they could restock their reserves until the next battle came."
"That's not true," she said shaking her head.
"Oh, but it is. Those facts have been scratched from the history books by muggle loving traitors. Old men in power like that old fool Dumbledore-"
"-you don't get to talk about him." How dare he bring Dumbledore into this.
"-grew soft for his squib of a sister I imagine."
"What are you talking about? That's such bull-"
"That's how you were able to perform the imperious curse." He breathed. "All this time you've been siphoning my magic, without me noticing."
His eyes met hers.
"I told you that's not poss-"
He lunged for her.
Her back hit the wall of the cave and her wand slipped from her hand, rolling deeper into the rock shelter.
"How are you doing it?" He screamed in her face.
"I'm not doing anything!" She hollered back.
He grabbed her shoulders and tossed her to the ground, grunting with the effort.
Before Hermione registered what had happened, he was on top of her.
"Tell me Granger!" He pinned her arms beside her head.
"I'm telling you I haven't done anything! It's impossible to steal someone's magic!"
"Stop lying!"
"I'm not!" She hollered back, arching her neck to get as close to him as possible, as if proximity would get her point across.
Draco took a moment, flicking his eyes between her raging ones. She wasn't afraid. Then something in his head clicked, memories from yesterday rushing back.
Hermione watched him pause a moment and pushed off of her.
He sat with his back to the opposing wall and heaved.
"You pretended to be my mother." He said, shocked and confused.
"What?" She sat up.
"You pretended to be my mother," he said again, now eerily calm.
"Well for the past day and a bit, I kind of have been haven't I?"
"What did you see?"
"Nothing."
"Then what did you hear?" He snapped.
She figured now was a good time to fess up. He seemed to remember anyway.
"You telling your mother you wanted to escape."
"Fucking shit," he stood up in a rage and stormed to the entrance.
"Now where are you going?"
"For a walk!"
With that, he disappeared into the rainstorm. And this time, she let him.