Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger
Word Count: 542 words
Setting: after the war!au
She still hadn't figured out when he did customize his own ringtone, so she answered it when it reached the last ring. The phone was bulky against the softness of the mattress and the side of her cheek, but the corner of the flip phone somewhat eased the itching on the shell of her ear. "This still works."
Scatter of static with a short exhale, and she could almost hear the corner of his mouth quirk up for a millisecond, then regulated back into place. "So it seems."
"I'm in the room next to yours," Folding her arm over her stomach, she rested on her good side. "You are wasting the battery."
"You can just hang up." She heard both the headboard creak and his head brush against the wall behind her at the same time.
How awake she was hurt her head. "It's four in the morning." So did the other healing injuries, but no one was there to hold her hands to stop her scratching.
"And you are awake to pick up my call."
Her forehead rested forward on the concrete and she could feel the swing of celebration down the few flight of stairs. "I'm not used to them like this. Being so … loud. Not tense, just ― at ease, I guess."
"They won't when they wake up because the last time I checked the inventory, there were no more Sobering Potion left."
She lifted her left hand above and let the faint blueish hue of dawn coat the bandages on her hand. "So in a few more hours."
"… We won, so who's counting, really."
"The Wizengamot would. You are one of us."
"The one thing we have decided not to talk about, Granger." At least his dry bark of a laugh hadn't changed. "I can't pretend I had meant to turn spy for the sake of contributing to the good side."
"And you did prove your worth."
"Not enough, yet. If I do empty half of the family vaults up for the rebuilding, I could only take half the years off from my father, and that does not look good for me, either."
"Well, you know where to find people to vouch for your conduct, Malfoy." She bit her tongue because she sounded so desperate; she switched to the other ear when the pressure began to irritate.
"If the Order are still using Twelve as headquarters, and they don't throw my belongings out of my uncle's room, I can remember my way."
"Somewhere else you need to be?" The hairs on the back of her neck stood, as if her bed suddenly was cold.
"My parents." His answer was clearly rehearsed; he released his lower lip, his jaw nudging his phone and made his voice wobble. "They would want to see me and have my help with the … place. Just for a week, perhaps."
"If you are kicked out, I know someone who can spare some room." Her toes brushed back and forth at the railings where his legs usually rested.
This time, she could hear his grin, "So I can pretend I don't miss having fellytone calls with you? I'm not that good of an actor."