Part III
Follow Your Beating Heart
Once again they weren't talking. Hermione would come to the common room at night, but then she'd stay just long enough to keep her health satisfied and then leave without a word.
Draco was hating every minute of it, but at the same time he was still bothered by the whole ordeal. He knew the muggles had some god they prayed to that supposedly gave them answers to their troubles, maybe there was a wizard equivalent he could yell at.
-23 November 1998, Monday-
"What is that supposed to be?" Blaise asked Draco, pointing at the the thing he had on the table in front of him.
"It's a muggle instrument called a 'drum'," he replied, holding up the sticks he had been given and tapping on the top, emitting its thumping noise. "It's for muggle studies."
Everyone in his class had been assigned an instrument to learn a music piece on from then until after the Christmas holidays, after which they'd have to perform for their peers. Draco, along with a few others, had been given a percussion instrument.
"This isn't going to interfere with Quidditch practice is it?" Blaise voiced his concern.
"No, practice for this is at four."
At that moment, Ernie Macmillan began to play the lyre he had been given, filling the common room with a cacophony of sound.
"I hope his lessons start today," Blaise cringed.
Draco didn't know what came over him in that moment, but he got up and went over to Ernie, grabbing the stringed instrument out of his hands.
"Let me see that before you break someone's ear drums," he said as he sat down in the nearest chair and set it perfectly on his lap and under his arm. Just as his feet had taken over during the Halloween dance, his fingers took control and began to pluck away. He became unaware of the world around him as he perfectly played a dreamlike melody.
It wasn't till a few minutes later that he strummed the final chord and then handed the lyre back to its stunned owner. His face turned red when he realized that everyone in the room was staring at him, including Hermione, who had been sitting at the window with Ginny Weasley.
"That was... interesting..." Blaise said, an incredulous look on his face. "I didn't know there was an instrument you could play."
"Me neither," Draco replied uneasily, ignoring the confused expression Blaise gave him and returning to his schoolwork, wondering if there was anything else he'd be able to unexpectedly do.
-12 December 1998, Saturday-
It was the last Hogsmeade trip before school would be breaking for the Christmas holidays and everyone was out buying gifts for their family and friends. Draco wasn't sure why he decided to come this time, since it was freezing due to the snow,jm and his mother had most certainly already done his Christmas shopping for him.
"Do you think my mother would like this?" Blaise asked him, handing up a violet, velvet cloak.
"Sure," Draco responded, though he hadn't the slightest idea what Blaise's mother may or may not like.
"What are you getting your mum?"
"An all day spa pass like every year."
"That actually sounds like a great tradition. I'll do that instead," Blaise said as he put the cloak back on its rack. "I guess that means I don't have any more shopping to do. What do you say we ditch the girls and get some hot chocolate or something? I feel like I'm on the verge of frostbite."
They left the cloak shop to head over to the Three Broomsticks, which Draco noted was right on time for him to be "meeting" Hermione. He wasn't quite to the lightheaded stage of separation, but he knew he probably only had twenty minutes before it would start up.
They were passing by one of the more expensive jewelry shops in the village when its door opened, and none other than Hermione and Ginny walked out, nearly colliding into him and Blaise.
They hadn't spoken to each other in nearly a month, and she'd only come to the common room the night before to tell him when to be at the Three Broomsticks so they could make it through the day without passing out. She was taking her suggestion that they take a break from each other seriously, and although Draco knew that it was probably a good idea, it was still killing him.
Seeing her was one thing, but being near her was another, and he missed her more than he thought he would. No matter how hard he tried to tell himself that his feelings towards her were meaningless and manufactured by some unknown force, he couldn't seem to tear his heart away from her. Every time he turned a corner he hoped she would be there, and he even kept going to the common room at their usual time to see if she would turn up. His thoughts were no longer mostly of her in his dreams, but of her in the present, smiling and talking with him, making him feel like he wasn't alone in the world. When he found himself spending more time in the library in the chance that she would be there, he knew he couldn't fight it anymore.
He was in love with her, and it didn't matter what the cause may be.
"Oh, sorry," Hermione said, grabbing Ginny to pull her back before she stepped onto Blaise's feet.
"It's alright ladies," Blaise said, gallantly gesturing with his arm that they were welcome to go by first. They obliged, with Hermione shooting Draco a quick glance before linking arms with Ginny and going on their way, and Blaise gave Draco an almost knowing look.
Draco and Blaise slowed their pace so they wouldn't be too close to the girls, but they were near enough to be able to hear them speak.
"You should've just gotten that bracelet," Ginny said. "It would go perfectly with what you're going to wear to our Christmas party. I'd get it for you as a gift, but it's a little above my budget."
"I think it's above most people's budgets Gin," Hermione laughed as they entered the Three Broomsticks, Draco and Blaise behind them.
Draco had thought about getting Hermione a gift, though he hadn't been sure what. Now he knew exactly what he was going to present her with. Maybe it would get her talking to him again.
-19 December 1998, Saturday-
Another week had passed without her presence, and Draco was nervous. In a few hours almost all of Hogwarts was going to be leaving for their homes for the holidays; as part of his sentence he wasn't allowed to leave the castle, save for the few trips to Hogsmeade, so he would not be returning to his manor, but he knew Hermione was going to be with her family, and they hadn't discussed what they were going to do about the separation. He breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the common room and saw her sitting in the window, a book opened up at her feet.
"What are you reading?" He asked her, hoping she wouldn't just have come to ignore him.
"Nothing of importance," she answered as she closed it. "I still have some packing to do, so we should make this quick,"
Draco tried to not show that he was put out by her curtness, and with a short nod sat at the opposite end of the window. She reached next to her and revealed a velvet turquoise drawstring bag. Upon opening it she pulled out a very elegant pewter hand mirror. "I know you're not allowed to leave the castle and won't be going home, so I figured this would be the best way for us to see each other."
"How does it- wait, how do you know I'm not allowed to leave the castle?" The two had talked about many things, but they had never touched on the details of his sentence.
"I was there, at your trial. I was actually an additional witness on your behalf if they needed me, but Harry was more than good enough." Hermione was blushing, knowing that Draco was clueless to all of this.
"Why would you do that for me?"
"'I don't know,'" she replied, though her tone was strange, almost as if it was a statement instead of a segue to finding the real answer.
"You don't know?"
"That's what you said when the snatchers brought us to your family and they wanted you to identify us. You said 'I don't know'. You could've easily said yes, but you didn't. It didn't really matter in the end," she said, and Draco noticed she tugged on her sleeve to make sure her tortured arm was completely covered. "But I'll never forget that, Draco. That you tried, even if it could've meant horrible consequences for you."
Draco was sure he could've kissed her in that moment, but she had leaned back into the pillow on the wall and away from him.
"Anyway," she returned to the reason she was there, "This is a two way mirror. You just look into it and say my name, and then I'll be able to see you from the one that I have, or vice versa. It'll probably be best if we don't speak to each other when we do this, just look long enough for us to feel fine for a few hours. We're all going to be spending a few days with Harry at his place in Godric's Hollow, and I don't want them asking any questions."
Before Draco could say anything more, she stood up. "Goodnight. Have a Happy Christmas." And without glancing back she retreated down her hall.
Sleep didn't come for Draco as he lay in his bed, waiting for the sun to rise. Once it did, he slowly got himself ready for the day and the inevitable loneliness that was to come. When he entered the common room it was humming with people grabbing belongings they had left out and about and needed to pack, and also those who were waiting for their friends so they could head to breakfast. He couldn't see Hermione anywhere, so she was either still in her room or already in the Great Hall. Not that it mattered; they had already said their goodbyes.
By nine o'clock everyone who wasn't staying at Hogwarts had gone except for his fellow eight year Slytherins and Astoria, for apparently none of them felt like being home for the holidays.
"So, what should we do for the next two weeks?" Blaise asked, looking around the group expectantly.
Stay in our rooms and not leave except for sustenance, Draco thought.
"There's a Christmas Market in Hogsmeade we could go," Astoria spoke up. "I saw flyers up for it the last time we were there."
"We're allowed to go Hogsmeade during Christmas holiday?" Pansy said with excitement, and Draco knew she was already thinking of more ways to spend her father's money.
"Yes, it's in the letter they left for everybody staying. You should've gotten one on your nightstand."
"Since no else seems to have read it, could you perhaps tell us what else it said?" Blaise asked.
Astoria huffed, probably the first time Draco saw her show annoyance towards anything, before she continued. "Hogsmeade is open to us from nine in the morning to nine at night, and if we're not back in time twenty-five housepoints will be taken away per person. Meal times will follow their usual schedule and there will be a Christmas feast on the twenty-fifth and a New Year's feast on the thirty-first."
"Well then what are we waiting for, let's go to Hogsmeade!" Pansy clapped.
It had snowed the night before, but the path from the castle to the village had remained unplowed, so Draco did nothing but internally growl as they made the trek. He had hoped to escape to his quarters when they all went to grab their winter coats, but Blaise must've sensed his intentions and successfully kept him from shutting his door.
The village was decked in many wreaths and holly, and some of the buildings had been enchanted to look like they were made of gingerbread. Stalls that didn't usually exist the rest of the year were lined up in between all the permanent stores, and the place was busier than Draco had seen it before.
"I didn't know this many people lived in Hogsmeade," Daphne commented in awe.
"I think everyone from around the area comes here for it," Astoria said. "Not just the villagers."
They spent the next few hours roaming the market, perusing all the different goods on display. There were some stalls with toys and candy, and others with desserts you only have this time of the year. There was a stall selling fireworks to let off on the New Year, so Blaise spent a few galleons on a nice pile. One stall had a toy replica of the Hogwarts Express circling Hogwarts, which had many of the young children around enthralled.
In the middle of courtyard there was a stage where ballerinas were performing scenes from the Nutcracker. Draco could've done without the viewing experience, but the girls of the group seemed to get excited, so they all took a seat on one of the benches surrounding the platform.
Draco had been feeling anxious this whole time, partly because it was close to when he'd need to see Hermione, but also because he wasn't sure how he'd be able to use the mirror (which he had stowed in one of the pockets of his coat) without drawing attention to himself. He probably had an hour to think of something.
It was in the middle of "The Waltz of the Flowers" when he felt a vibration coming from the pocket that held the mirror. Hermione hadn't mentioned anything about that happening, but he figured it meant she was trying to reach him.
"I'm going to go get some hot cocoa," he said aloud.
"Oh, get me one, too, mate- I'm freezing!" Blaise shivered, pulling his coat in closer to him.
Draco nodded and hurried off before anyone else could request a cup, or even more inconvenient, offer to come with him. He found himself a deserted area between some trees and then took out the mirror. "Hermione," he whispered, and the reflection staring back at him changed, revealing nothing but darkness.
It was only a few moments later that her face appeared, and from what he could tell she was in the bathroom of the Hogwarts Express. He opened his mouth to say "How are you," but stopped when he recalled what she had said about how they should just be quiet. She wouldn't have heard him anyway, for she only held the mirror in front of her for a couple seconds before sending it back into her pocket. Draco sighed before doing the same, knowing it was going to be a long two weeks.
-25 December 1998, Friday-
The past few days had gone painfully slow for Draco as he counted the hours between when he'd get to see Hermione, even if it was only for a few moments. He kept trying to talk to her, but she always shook her head, even during their early morning time, when he was sure her friends were asleep and no where near her. He assumed she was just paranoid that the sound of their voices would travel through the walls of Harry's house.
He had the misfortune of spending another day in the Hogsmeade Christmas Market following the first one, but when his friends wanted to go for a third time he simply retreated to his room without even telling them no. He spent his time either practicing on his drum or alone in the library, seeing if he and Hermione had missed anything in the books they had already read, and sifting through a few more. He found nothing new however, to his disappointment. He had hoped if he had he could use it to get Hermione to talk to him.
It was now nearing four in the morning, and he was in the common room, mirror in hand, waiting patiently for her to appear. Somehow they'd fallen into an unspoken arrangement that she was to contact him and not the other way around. He'd been awake for at least half an hour, which meant she was too, so he wasn't sure why she was taking her time.
He was startled away from the mirror by a sound from one of the hallways, and he quickly threw it behind him. He could hear soft footsteps approaching, and wondered which Slytherin was about to join him. His eyes widened when a figure emerged not from the Slytherin hall, but the Gryffindor.
"Granger?"
"Hey," she smiled softly as she took a seat next to him. She had with her the same velvet drawstring bag she had kept the mirror in and set it beside her.
"What are you doing- how?" He said, his surprise over her presence keeping him from speaking clearly.
"I made a portkey... or four," she blushed. "Don't tell anyone, please. It's not illegal, but it'd definitely be frowned upon."
Before he could stop himself, Draco had cupped one of her cheeks with his hands. He hadn't realized how much having her in person made it easier for him to breathe. She must've felt the same, for he saw her inhale deeply.
"Happy Christmas, Draco," she whispered.
"Happy Christmas."
She took his hand away from her face, but didn't let it go, instead moving both hers and his between them on the couch. "I've been thinking about everything you said, and I know there's a lot from our past that should make all this impossible, but... it all seems so far away and foreign to me, as if those things happened to someone else. I don't know how else to explain it, other than I feel like a different person, and I feel like you've changed too. We're not children on different sides of a war anymore, we're just Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, and I'm okay with that. So we can have a long drawn out conversation rehashing all the times we were cruel to each other, or... we can just move forward."
"Let's move forward," he agreed, probably a little too quickly given the smirk Hermione now had on her lips. "Er, how have you been?"
"I've been fine. Harry's been taking us sightseeing around Godric's Hollow. How about you?"
"Just reading and practicing on that blasted drum."
"It's coming along well then I take it," Hermione let out a chuckle.
"Terribly."
"Can't quite pick it up like you did the lyre?"
"I was wondering if you were ever going to ask me about that. To be honest, until that day I had no idea what those were or how to play one. It just came..."
"Naturally?" Hermione finished for him.
Draco nodded. "Like with the dancing. Something I had never done before in my life I was suddenly great at at. Any ideas why?"
"Well if we go with the reincarnation theory, it's probably because one of the people we dream about could do it."
"Makes sense I guess."
"Were you at the Hogsmeade Christmas Market the day we left?"
"Yeah, I got dragged to it by Blaise."
"I've always wanted to go, but I was never around for the holidays. Was that the Nutcracker I heard in the background?"
Draco gave her a scrutinizing look. "How were you able to hear that? I was pretty far away."
Hermione's face reddened. "Well, the thing with the mirror is one of us has to actually turn it off, or 'wipe the mirror clean' as it says in the enchantment guide. I forgot about that step, so we were still connected for a few minutes and I was able to catch most of the Pas de Deux."
"Tsk tsk Granger. You're always trying to spy on me."
"I haven't forgotten since!" She defended herself, her face now the shade of a tomato.
It hadn't felt like they had been with each other very long, but the sky outside the window was beginning to lighten.
"We should open our gifts before I have to leave," she said. She sat up to open her bag, and pulled out a present wrapped in silver paper. Judging by the size and shape, Draco knew exactly what it was.
"A book Granger?" He smirked. "How original of you."
"I've never been good at gift giving!" She retorted as he tore the wrapping off. It was a novel titled Pride and Prejudice and the cover featured a man and woman in early nineteenth century.
"And a romance, no less."
"I know. But it's a muggle classic and one of my favorites, so please give it a try."
"Thank you, Granger. I will read and treasure it for many years to come," he teased. "Your gift is still in my dormitory, I was going to give it to you when you got back. Should I get it?"
Hermione gave a little grin before raising her wand and saying, "Accio Hermione's gift!" A few seconds later there was a slight whizzing noise in the air, and the small box containing the bracelet he had bought her came soaring into the room and she caught it gingerly in her hand.
"And people thought I liked to show off."
Hermione made a playful face at him before she carefully pulled on the ribbon twined around the box and then lifted the lid, letting out a small gasp when she saw the piece of jewelry. The bracelet was a rose gold chain that had a simple heart pendant dangling from it, which in turn had three diamonds set inside. "Draco- I can't possibly accept this," she said, knowing how much it cost.
"Please, Granger, just take it," Draco persisted. "Contrary to current popular belief, I'm not destitute, and more importantly I really want you to have it."
Hermione gave a smile before asking him to help her put it on, and he obliged, though he had a little trouble with the clasp due to the tingling in his fingertips from being so close to her. "I'm assuming you overheard me and Ginny that day at Hogsmeade, but how did you know which one it was?"
"I have my ways Granger," he said coyly, not wanting to admit that he'd offered the jeweler fifty galleons on top of the selling price to tell him which piece she wanted, especially since she already balked at him purchasing it for her.
"Thank you," she said, using his mirror to admire it.
A rooster crowd from out by Hagrid's cabin, and they both knew their time was up. She began to stand up to leave, but Draco stopped her, cupping her cheek once again and bringing her face closer to his. He paused a moment as their gazes met, and then he pressed his lips to hers. In an instant all the previous times they had shared their first kiss flashed through his mind, and he could feel his heart beat pick up speed. He wondered if this was what it was always going to be like, as if the world were going to implode if he didn't touch her.
When they parted, he could tell she was trying not to grin, and her eyes wouldn't meet his. "Well, I'm going to back portkey Harry's," she said incoherently as she picked herself off the settee, and Draco had to stop himself from chuckling.
"Happy Christmas," he called quietly after her as she disappeared down the Gryffindor Hall, and he swore he saw her do a little skip.
For the first time in what felt like weeks Draco was able to get a couple hours rest. He was awoken at ten by Hermione's call, followed shortly by Blaise, who shouted through the door that everyone was waiting for him to open presents.
They really want to make sure I'm not left out of anything, he groaned.
The group was gathered on the floor near the tall Christmas tree their common room had been graced with, and each had a pile of gifts in front of them. Draco's bunch had been gathered and set next to Blaise's; it wasn't as big as it had been in years past, but Draco was grateful nonetheless considering he hadn't been expecting anything.
"Let's take turns opening them," Pansy declared, and she then nominated herself to be the first gift opener. "A Madame Tania makeup kit!" She squealed, and Draco saw Daphne's jaw drop. It was apparently a very good gift.
Daphne went next, receiving a silk cape from her parents; Blaise followed with a 'Make Your Own Firewhiskey' kit from his mother. Draco went last, choosing also to open his present from his mother first. It was a tiny box, and he hoped she hadn't decided to gift him with some sort of jewelry. Removing the lid revealed an old fashioned key nestled in a pillow of blue silk.
"What does that go to?" Blaise asked, and Draco was wondering the same thing.
"There's a note on the underside of the lid," Daphne pointed out, and Draco pulled it out.
My son, he read to himself. I'm sorry we weren't able to spend this holiday together, and I hope to see you as soon as you are finished with school. This is the key to Malfoy Manor, making you its Lord and granting you all ownership and command of the estate. I decided the memories of this place were too much to bear on a daily basis and have moved to a villa on the coast of France. I won't tell you exactly where just yet as I'd rather nobody be able to find me. I love you, and wish you the best.
Love,
Mother
"Well?" Draco heard Blaise say, as he'd been sitting in silence with the small paper in front of him for about a minute.
"It's to the manor. She's moved and I'm now its proprietor," he answered them.
"I think Draco wins that round then ladies," Blaise joked. "He got a whole manor for Christmas! That's much better than some face stuff."
"Har har, Blaise," Pansy mocked. "I'll have you know that this is the most sought after palette in the whole wizarding world. Anyway, it's my turn again." She grabbed another gift off of her pile and proceeded to open it.
They continued going around in order until they had repleted their piles. In addition to his key, Draco had received a magical deck of cards from Blaise, a 1998 guide to all the Quidditch teams from Pansy, a chocolate variety box from Daphne, and some cologne from Astoria. The last one had Blaise raising his eyebrows at him, and he quickly hid it away with his other gifts in a box Pansy had handed him.
"What should we do today?" Daphne asked. "After lunch of course," she added after Blaise groaned that he was hungry.
"If any of you looked outside you would have noticed they have quite a few things for us to do," Pansy said pointing to the window, and they all went to see what she talking about. They were greeted with the sight of the grounds covered in a thick blanket of snow, and in different sections there were activities set up: magic made hills for sledding; boxes of sticks, charcoal, and clothing items to make snowmen; a pile of pre-made snow balls for a fight; a maze created with six-foot tall snow walls; and the lake had been frozen over for iceskating.
"I think the correct question was what are we going to first Daph," Pansy said.
"We're going to eat first!" Blaise reminded her, already heading towards the common room entrance, and the girls began to follow him.
"I'll meet you all there," Draco said. "I want to write my mother back."
Returning to his room, Draco took out a piece of parchment to pen his mother, simply wanting to wish her Happy Christmas and let her know her gift made it to him safely. He'd have to stop by the owlery and use one of the school owls since he hadn't been allowed to bring his this year.
He was about to leave when he noticed another gift sitting on his bed. He recognized the box right away as one that would hold a wand, and quickly tore off the string that was tying it closed. In it lay his wand: ten inches long, made of hawthorne wood with a unicorn hair core; slender, and black at the base. It'd been over eight months since he'd last had it. Over the summer he'd been escorted to Ollivander's to purchase a new one. He gingerly picked it up, and was saddened to not feel any connection to it- no course of magic running through him letting him know it was his again.
There was a tag attached to the string he had pulled off and in his hurry to open the box had ignored.
I thought you might like this back. It may not be loyal to you anymore, but it's still yours, it read.
There was no signature at the end, but he didn't need one to know who it came from. He set the wand on his nightstand, and then reaching into his box of gifts he fished out the key to Malfoy Manor and placed it next to it.
They spent the day making their way through all the festivities that had been set up for them, though Draco spent most of it trying to sneak back into the castle. He had to admit that he did enjoy the sledding, and even the snowball fight. During the ice skating Blaise had gone off arm and arm with both Pansy and Daphne, leaving Astoria, who had joined them for the activities, to him. Not the linking limbs type, he had shoved his hands into his pockets before she could even attempt to wrap her arm around his. There was a flash of disappointment on her face, but she did the same and settled for just gliding next to each other.
"It was great of them to create this for us this year," she commented, her first opportunity to speak to him that afternoon.
"Yeah, it was," Draco replied.
"Did you like your gift?" She asked.
"Er- yes, I'll have to try it next time my mother throws a gala or something." Which will probably be never again, he thought.
"Why don't you wear it tonight?" Astoria suggested. "At the Christmas party."
"There's a party tonight?"
"Yes, after the feast they're letting us hang out in the Great Hall till midnight, just cause it's the holiday and all."
McGonagall really wants us to have a good time this year, Draco mused.
"So..." Astoria began again, for they had gone a lap around the lake without saying anything. "Between Pans and Daph, who do you think is actually going to end up with Blaise?"
And for the first time, Astoria succeeded in getting Draco to laugh.
"You must be having a good day," Hermione noted that late afternoon when they spoke again.
"Why do you say that?" Draco asked.
"You're more relaxed. Every time I see you you always look relieved, like I've saved you from the most trying day."
She was right, the day had been more pleasant than the others he'd had this holiday. Aside from being able to see her in person that morning, hanging out with his friends hadn't been terrible, and talking with Astoria while they skated and did everything else had been easier than he thought.
"You're actually missing quite a bit of fun here at Hogwarts this Christmas," Draco said, but before he could tell her about it all there was yelling on her side of the mirror, followed by her shouting back at the unseen voice, "I'll be right down!"
"I'll see you tonight at ten," she smiled at him, and he managed to say goodbye in turn before the connection was lost.
He wished they had more time together, but he knew it was best to keep things short so no one would find out about them. He wondered how long they would have to keep up the charade of them being nothing more than friends. Ideally they would never have to reveal themselves, but he knew it would only be a matter of time before someone came upon the truth.
The feast that night was marvelous, as usual, and when the main course was done the tables were magically cleared, and then moved to the walls where they then filled instead with Christmas desserts and other treats. Music began to play, and everyone started to mingle to talk with their friends and dance.
"You going to show us your dance moves again Draco?" Blaise mocked playfully, and Draco glared at him.
"Actually, I think I'm going to call it a night," he said instead.
"No you're not," Astoria shook her head, quickly taking his hands in hers and leading him to where everyone else was dancing. Their time together in the afternoon had obviously made her more comfortable with him, and this time he didn't pull away from her.
They didn't engage in a tango, or any other type of ballroom dance, but for the next couple hours she made him her dance partner. Rather than attempt to stage an escape, Draco decided to just go with it, knowing it was just easier to give in than endure the pestering of his friends to stay.
He didn't realize ten o'clock had come until he suddenly felt himself becoming light headed and jittery. He hadn't planned on staying any minute passed nine, and now it was an hour later and Hermione was probably trying to reach him on the mirror which he had left in his quarters.
They were in the middle of a slow song, and he could feel his hands starting to lightly shake over Astoria's, though she wasn't showing any signs she noticed. He bent forward to speak in her ear so she'd be able to hear him over the music. "I need to go," he said.
She shook her head no, clearly having every intention of keeping him there. Knowing the nausea would soon set in, he let go of her hands and headed toward the doors. Out in the hall and away from the music he could hear running footsteps behind him.
"Draco wait!" Astoria called after him.
He continued walking, but she caught up to him.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, grabbing onto his arm.
"No," he lied. "I'm just tired is all."
"Oh. Alright then," she said, letting go. He began to move forward when she stopped him again. "Wait-"
He watched her point above them, where a sprig of mistletoe was floating above their heads. Draco felt his stomach lurch as she looked at him expectantly, her eyes glistening.
"Astoria..." Draco sighed. "Today was great...but it's not going to happen. I'm sorry."
Astoria's face turned bright red as she quickly turned around and retreated back to the party without another word.
Draco took in a deep breath, hoping it would keep him from feeling like he was going to fall over. There was a ringing in his ears, but it wasn't loud enough to keep him from hearing the bells from the clock tower alerting everyone that it was now eleven o'clock.
Eleven?! Draco groaned. It had now been at least seven hours since he'd seen Hermione. Why didn't you take the mirror with you you fool?
He was a little more than halfway to the common room, but his steps had become sluggish, his head was now pounding, and the dim candlelight of the halls was still too bright for his eyes. He steadied himself on a wall, wondering if he collapsed how long it would take for someone to find him, and if Madame Pomfrey even had something to fix him.
"Draco!" It was Blaise. "What'd you abandon Astoria for? She's cryi- are you alright, mate?" Just noticing his friends condition, Blaise hoisted Draco onto his shoulder. "We should get you to the hospital wing."
"No," Draco said, though it was a little labored. "Just bring me to my room."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Draco breathed, closing his eyes.
It was a long five minutes from where they were to their dormitory, but they made it.
"Can I get you anything?" Blaise asked as he lay Draco on his bed, concern and bewilderment lacing his voice.
Without answering, or caring that Blaise was about to witness what he was going to do, Draco grabbed the mirror from under his pillow. It was vibrating, and he was sure it'd been doing it for the last hour and more. "Hermione," he rasped, and it was with a gasp of relief that her face appeared.
He was still lying on his bed, while Blaise was sitting in the lounge chair nearby, staring at him. He and Hermione had just shut off their mirrors after taking a much needed ten minutes to not feel like they were dying. He apologized for being late and she had nodded and said they'd talk again in the morning. During all this, Blaise had been wide eyed with his mouth agape, and luckily he'd had the sense to not say anything, until she had gone.
"What in the world was that about?" He sputtered out. "You and Granger? You and Granger?"
"There's a perfectly logical explanation for it," Draco said.
"Really? There's a logical explanation for why you looked like you were on the brink of death, but a chat with Granger suddenly makes it all better?"
"I know it's ridiculous. You'll probably think we're both daft, but... it started the night of my eighteenth birthday..."
-26 December 1998, Saturday-
Everyone was drunk on mead, enjoying the funeral feast that Olga had requested for her deceased Igor. Katerina sat across the table from him, her cheeks a lovely shade of red. She was chatting with the wife of the man he was currently in conversation with. He'd let the man chatter for a bit more, then he was going to whisk Katerina back home and to bed.
The music stopped, and from the other side of the room there was a scream, followed by another, and another until the whole room was filled with the sound of terror.
Everyone has stood and are trying to run for the door. Katerina has a clearer path than he does since she was on the side of the long table that wasn't against a wall. He yells at her to run, not wanting her to wait for him, or make sure that he makes it out ok.
All around him Olga's men are slashing through his fellow people, and he's barely able to dodge a few strikes that were meant for him. He sees Katerina clear the exit and hopes that she'll just keep going all the way home. As he makes it through himself, he realizes that the outdoors isn't any better than the inside has been. The screaming just continues, and the city is alight with fire.
Katerina is not too far ahead of him now, and he stupidly calls out her name so that she knows he's behind her. She turns around, and he's able to take one last look at her fair face before a sword comes down on her neck, separating her head from her body.
"NO!" Draco shouted himself awake. He caught his breath before taking a swig of water from the cup on his nightstand, but his mind was still reeling. This was the second time he'd had this dream, but one important detail had changed from the first. It wasn't Hermione's face he'd been looking at all night, but Astoria Greengrass'.
-26 December 1998, Saturday-
Draco couldn't focus the rest of the day, and it wasn't only because of the change in the dream; every moment he couldn't stop thinking about Astoria. He even spent a majority of the day outside not only his dormitory, but the common room, hoping he would run into her somewhere out in the halls.
What is going on with me? He thought, wondering how he could have suddenly gone from only wanting Hermione, to pining for Astoria. In his heart he knew he was in love with the former, but his brain was telling him he needed the latter. This is insane, he grumbled.
He had wondered if anything odd had happened on Hermione's end of the dream, but when he saw her in the mirror that morning nothing had seemed off with her. He was sure she would have mentioned if it had been the case.
He was now on his way to the Quidditch pitch for practice with Blaise and some of the other members who had stayed over the holidays. It had felt great to be back on a broom again, and he was looking forward to the first match they would have against Hufflepuff once term resumed.
He entered the pitch and his stomach immediately did a somersault at the sight of Astoria in the stands, sitting between Pansy and Daphne.
"So you'll be good till four o' clock, right?" Blaise asked him in a whisper once he reached the team. Draco had explained to him how he and Hermione could only go so long without seeing each other, which was the reason for his sudden illness the night prior.
"Yeah."
"Perfect, that means we have three hours to practice." There was a collective groan at Blaise's last words, which he had said a little louder than he should have.
A moment later he had released the Quidditch balls and everyone was up in the air, playing their part. Draco began to search for the snitch, hoping his concentration wouldn't fail him. Unfortunately, knowing that Astoria was watching wasn't helping him, and every time he flew by the stand she was in, he nearly fell off his broom.
Come on Draco, get a grip.
"Watch out!" He heard Astoria yell, and the pain of a bludger hitting him square in the ribs was immediate.
"I brought you your mirror," Blaise said, pushing the object under Draco's pillow. He was in the hospital wing healing, and would have to stay there until morning, per Madame Pomfrey's orders.
"Thanks," Draco said gratefully. He didn't want another episode while also fusing back together some bones.
"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you get hit by a bludger before."
"It was bound to happen sometime," Draco shrugged.
"Also, in previous practices you've caught the snitch at least four times in the same amount of time we were out there today."
"What's your point, Blaise?"
"Something is obviously up with you. Are you still sick from last night? I thought once you saw each other it was fine, no side effects."
"Well maybe this time it was just too much."
Blaise shook his head, laughing. "I still can't believe you and Granger have this thing going on. I mean, I had a feeling there was little more to you two than meets the eye, but definitely not some dreamy destiny bullshit."
"So eloquent," Draco drawled.
Blaise stayed only a few minutes longer, for it was nearing four and he didn't, as he put it, "Want to sit around watching a staring party." He mentioned the girls coming to visit Draco after dinner, but Draco immediately it shut down. The last thing he needed was to see Astoria, no matter how much the idea perked him up.
-27 December 1998, Sunday-
His dream that early morning once again saw him with a Katerina that looked like Astoria instead of Hermione, and he wondered if maybe it could be that he was simply projecting her in Hermione's place because of the time they'd been spending together; but the constant feeling of needing to find her perplexed him, just like it had in the beginning with Hermione.
Had he done something to change the object of his affections?
No, he thought firmly. This was different, for there wasn't any affection that he felt towards Astoria other than friendliness, he just... needed to find her? Be next to her? Either way, there was a difference.
Hermione could tell something was off with him when they saw each other, for she had grabbed a piece of parchment and written on it, "Are you alright?" and he simply nodded that he was fine. He wasn't sure if he should tell her about the last couple of dreams he had, especially if they might just change back that night or the next.
It was nearing two in the afternoon when Madame Pomfrey decided Draco's ribs had healed and he was fit to leave her wing. He had just crossed the threshold into the corridor when he collided into another student, one with dark brown hair and eyes.
"Oh, Draco," Astoria said with a blush. "I was actually coming to see you. I know Blaise said not to, but... so you've been let out then?"
"Just released," Draco said, not looking her in the eye, and continuing on his way. She of course followed next to him.
"I'll walk with you back to the common room, or, well, you're common room," she stammered. "Those bludgers really do take people out don't they?"
"That's why they're called bludgers." Draco took a deep breath. As soon as he saw her it seemed that they were in close enough proximity that the urge to find her had been replaced with something else: the need to kiss her. He could even feel his body slightly tilting in her direction, but he managed to keep his wits about him and not lean down.
Just don't look at her, and make it to the common room as quickly as possible. He hoped she didn't catch on to his quickening pace.
As they walked, Astoria asked him if he had eaten already, if it was okay for him to be walking so fast, and lastly, if he wanted company for the rest of the day.
"You know Astoria, I'm still not feeling great, what with all the painkillers, so I'm just going to be in my quarters all evening." He answered through gritted teeth, afraid to even open his mouth.
"Oh, alright then, I'll see you tomorrow."
He left her outside the doors, and felt his mind return to the task of needing to go to her.
What the fuck is going on with me?
-28 December 1998, Monday-
The cyclone had arrived and was barraging everything in sight. Though they had prepared for the incoming storm like they usually did, they hadn't expected it to be so fierce.
"Elise," he loudly beckoned to his wife, hoping she could hear him over the roar of the wind and rain. "I think we need to head for higher ground."
She nodded back to him, and clasped her hand around his. He would lead them to the hill just outside the village. He wasn't sure if it would be high enough for what may come, but it was better than nothing.
The rain was hard as it pelted them, and it was difficult to see at times, but he pressed them forward.
"We're nearly there!" He could feel the ground rising under his feet, letting him know they had almost made it to their destination.
Suddenly, there was another sound cutting through the wind: screaming.
He quickened his steps, all the while pulling Elise behind him. The grasp of their hands had become slick with rainwater, and it was the moment he felt the earth flatten beneath him that their hold on each other gave way.
"ELISE!" He yelled as he turned to try and grab onto her again.
But he was too late. He watched as she slid back down the hill, not even making it to the bottom before she was met by a surge of flood water, sweeping her away.
The second Draco woke up he picked up the cup of water from his nightstand and chucked it at the wall across from him.
This had been a new dream, with new people, and Hermione's familiar face was nowhere to be seen.
"That was very unpleasant," Hermione said with a frown through the mirror. "I've heard people say that drowning is peaceful, but when you're being dragged through trees while it's happening, I'd say its quite the opposite."
Draco wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that she was still sharing dreams with him, but she was no longer in his. He knew he should tell her, but he didn't want to add on another layer of confusion to what was happening. He also didn't want to tell her her because it possibly meant he wasn't just in love with her, but another.
"Where's your mind at Draco?" She asked him.
"Just wondering where this dream took place," he lied.
"I suppose I have more research to do," she smiled excitedly.
Draco was hungry, but going to the Great Hall for breakfast and possibly running into Astoria was not something he wanted to do, so he decided his best bet was just to make due with what they had in the common room kitchen. There was always food there, but it was nothing heavy, just breads and cereals.
Blaise, Pansy, and Daphne were just about to leave when he entered the room, at which Blaise decided to stay behind to talk to him.
"You don't want to join us?" He asked Draco, watching as his friend filled a bowl with some Honey O's. "There's going to be French toast."
"No," Draco answered. "I think I'm just going to stay here the rest of the holiday." And possibly till graduation if I can manage it.
"Well you can't do that because we're having Quidditch practice again today, and I need you to up your game. Is there something you need to talk about? Both you and Astoria have been acting strange since the Christmas party."
Draco dropped his spoon into his bowl at the sound of her name, and he noticed Blaise's eyebrows rise up. Just tell him, he thought, Maybe he can help you figure out what the hell is going on.
"For the past three nights I've been dreaming about Astoria instead of Hermione," Draco confessed.
"I see," Blaise said, taking a seat in the nearest lounge chair. "Prior to Saturday I'd say 'so what', but after eight months of dreaming of nothing but Granger, that is pretty strange."
"The thing is, Hermione is still having the same dreams as usual, it's just mine that have changed."
"Intriguing. Well, that partially explains what's going on with you, but what's up with Astoria? She doesn't know anything about this, does she?"
"No, she doesn't, you're the only one outside Hermione and I that does. But, er... that night before you found me, she caught me under some mistletoe."
"You kissed Astoria?"
"We didn't, I told her I couldn't and walked away."
Blaise responded with a 'Hmm', but it was quickly followed by an '...ohhh,' as if something had just dawned on him.
"What?" Draco said, not liking the smirk on his friends face.
"You and Astoria got caught under mistletoe and you didn't kiss. That's against the rules Draco. Tell me, since then have you felt the need to kiss her?"
"All the time," Draco admitted. "What rules are you talking about?"
"The rules of magical mistletoe. You must kiss, or you'll be cursed until you do."
"So until I kiss her..."
"She'll be all you ever think about."
Draco was on a mission: He was going to find Astoria and kiss her, and have all this madness over with- well, the mistletoe madness. Blaise had suggested doing it on New Year's Eve, when kissing someone you weren't involved with was more acceptable, but that was three nights away and Draco didn't want to wait to have it done with..
It didn't take long to find her, for the curse led him in her direction. She was on her way to the Quidditch pitch, probably to watch the team practice again. Pansy and Daphne were with her, and he hoped when he stopped her they wouldn't stick around.
"Astoria!" He called out, running to catch up to her as she halted at the sound of her name.
"Yes?"
Draco gulped. "I don't want you to think this means anything," he said, not wanting her to get her hopes up that this would lead to something more. "When I didn't kiss you that night it cursed us, and I can't keep feeling this way, so..."
Without wasting anymore time, Draco pressed his lips to Astoria's. He had hoped to keep it to a simple peck, but further research from Blaise told them that wouldn't be good enough; Magical Mistletoe wanted passion, even if it was fake. Draco held her face to his, allowing his tongue to pass over hers, and she returned it in kind. Unfortunately, The action made him feel sick, and he pulled away before he'd feel the need to retch, hoping that what he'd done was enough to break the spell.
"So that's it then?" Astoria said, taking a breath. Draco nodded. "Well, I hope it works out and you don't feel... whatever it was you were feeling anymore." Her voice had a slight crack of sadness in it as she walked away from him and back towards the castle instead of up the stands.
Draco did feel sorry for potentially leading her on, but it had never been his intention. Besides that, he realized that in addition to the nausea, he felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He probably wasn't supposed to kiss anyone else, other than Hermione, and it was clearly taking its toll.
Maybe you should have waited until after Quidditch practice to do something debilitating, he chastised himself, but there was the silver lining of no longer having Astoria throwing him off his game. There would be no bludgers knocking him off his broom today.
Draco noticed that Hermione's face was paler, even though he was looking at her through the dark of her room. She was quiet, which wasn't odd on its own, but she had only given him half a smile when he grinned at her. She had stayed on for less than a minute during their four o'clock in the afternoon mirror time, and he wondered if she was going to leave as quickly this time.
There was a knock on her door, and she shoved the mirror under her pillow, but didn't wipe it clean, leaving Draco looking at nothing, but blackness, and still able to hear what was going on.
"Are you feeling better?" He heard Harry ask, his voice worried.
"I'm fine," Hermione answered him. Draco was curious as to why she wouldn't have felt well that day since they had been right on schedule with their meetings. Maybe she had eaten something bad?
"Hermione," Harry sighed. "You had a coughing fit, then clutched your stomach in pain, and hurled all over the living room carpet. Then you couldn't even perform the spell to clean it up. I'm still not sure how you convinced us not to go to Mungo's."
"It's nothing Harry," she assured her friend. "See?"
Draco heard something fall with a crash to the ground, followed by Hermione casting the spell to clean it up. "Everything's back to normal."
"You can tell me when something's wrong, you know that, right?"
"Of course Harry."
There was silence for a few moments, and then the shutting of her door, before she retrieved the mirror again.
"You were sick?" Draco asked.
"Yeah, I... honestly I felt like I was dying for a second. Did something happen with you today?"
A coldness fell over Draco as he realized why Hermione had felt ill. He had planned on telling her what happened with him and Astoria, he had just wanted to wait to do it in person. That clearly wasn't going to work.
"I kissed Astoria Greengrass," he said, looking away from the mirror so he wouldn't have to see her reaction.
"Oh."
"I didn't want to," he quickly explained. "You see, after the Christmas party we found ourselves under some mistletoe and since I didn't kiss her then, I was cursed to make me feel that I had to as soon as possible." He decided he'd leave out the part where Astoria replaced her in his dreams.
"That...makes sense. So... you don't have any feelings for Astoria?"
"No, of course not."
"It would be alright if you did," she said so softly it was nearly a whisper.
Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would that be alright?"
"I don't know," Hermione backtracked. "Just forget I said anything."
"Granger-"
I'll see you in the morning, alright?" She shut her mirror off before he could say anything again.
"See you in the morning," Draco said back to nothing but his own reflection.
He lay there for a while, confused by the turn the conversation had taken, unsure of what she had meant by that statement.
Why would it be alright?
Astoria kept her distance the remainder of the holiday, coming up with excuses to leave the group whenever Draco was around. It was almost the same with Hermione, except she came up with excuses as to why she couldn't stay on the mirror longer than a few minutes. Every time Draco tried to get her to elaborate on what she had said, she would just brush it off and then say she had to leave for something or other. He was anxious to have her back at Hogwarts where she wouldn't be able to evade him as easily.
New Year's Eve was anticlimactic, though another celebration in the common room was thrown. Pansy and Daphne awkwardly tried to get Astoria to stay with them, but she declined and spent the evening with her fellow sixth years. The party was to last until one in the morning, but as soon as everyone greeted each other 'Happy New Year', Draco retreated to his quarters.
-3 January 1999, Sunday-
The Hogwarts Express would be returning with all the students that had left for the holiday momentarily, and Draco was eager for Hermione to arrive. He knew they wouldn't really be able to talk like he wanted to until early the next morning, but he wanted to see her nonetheless.
When she and her two friends entered the common room that late afternoon, he merely looked up from his spot on the couch to give her a fleeting glance. He was surprised to note that she looked annoyed, and from the looks on Harry and Ron's faces, they weren't happy either.
"Hermione," Ron said sternly. "This isn't just something we can overlook." He obviously hadn't noticed that they weren't alone in the room.
"I don't want to talk about it," Hermione replied, a slight quiver to her voice.
Draco stilled, trying to piece together what they were talking about. Had they found about the two of them?
As Hermione began to walk toward the Gryffindor Hall, Harry latched onto her hand to stop her. "You need to see McGonagall now."
"Harry," Hermione pled. "It's been a long day, and I really just want to lie down alright?"
"You need to eat," Ron pointed out.
"Then bring me back something."
"Fine," Harry conceded. "But first thing tomorrow..."
"Yes, first thing tomorrow." Hermione blinked, allowing a couple tears that she had been holding to fall.
"Come here," Ron said, wrapping her into a hug and kissing her on the head. Harry took a turn after Ron let go, whispering in her ear what sounded to Draco like "Everything will be alright."
Draco tried not to stare, and hoped the heat of jealousy he was feeling everywhere wouldn't make him do something he'd regret.
Hermione left the room, and it was when they turned to do the same that Harry and Ron caught sight of Draco.
"Malfoy," Harry acknowledged him with a nod, and he dragged Ron out of the room before he could say anything.
As soon as they were gone, Draco hurried to his dorm and pulled out the mirror, desperate for Hermione to answer and explain. The mirror stayed blank, though, leaving him with no choice, but to wait another agonizing few hours.
-4 January 1999, Monday-
She hadn't said anything when they saw each other at ten the prior evening, which he had expected. Now however, he was prepared for her to be in the common room with nothing but explanations.
She was waiting for him, a cup of tea already steaming on his usual side of the table.
"Thank you," he said as he sat down, and before he could start the speech he had been practicing for the past ten hours, she put her hand up to stop him.
"I know you're wondering about this afternoon, and you're probably still wondering about what I said about Astoria. We'll get there, I promise."
"Alright then..." Draco said, cautiously allowing her to continue.
"First thing to ease your mind: Harry and Ron don't know about us- at least I'm pretty positive they don't. They haven't said anything to me, so my assumption is 'no'."
That's a relief, Draco thought.
"Second... I found something Draco, in a muggle library."
"You found something?" It was then he noticed a book in front of her, and she slid it across the table to him. He began to read the cover:
In Dreams: A Compilation of Lives Already Lived
Daniel Barnes
Draco opened the jacket, and his breath caught as he read the inside.
Before my father married my mother, he had began a life with someone else, a woman named Clara Bennet. They had been married only a couple years before she was tragically taken by tuberculosis. My father never spoke of her, and for the longest time I only knew of her as the woman before my mother, nothing else. Then one day I accompanied my father to the cemetery where my mother had been buried a year before, and was surprised when we didn't stop at her stone, but the stone of Clara; it was the anniversary of her death almost fifty years ago. He then said something that I would never forget: she knew she was going to die- she had dreamed of it. This statement led me on a journey that I had never expected to be taken, one that spanned centuries and somehow involved only two people: my father and the woman he had married not just in his life, but in lifetimes before.
Draco looked up and saw that Hermione was staring at him intently. "Turn to the Table of Contents," she said, and he did as he was told. Listed was a prologue, followed by nineteen chapters, each bearing the name of a man and a woman. Eleven of the pairs were unfamiliar to him, but the remaining seven were the ones he'd become increasingly familiar with over the past nine months. The final chapter was simply called 'Dancing'.
"This...this is it," he said in disbelief. "How did you find this?"
"I don't know how familiar you've become with muggle technology, but we have these things called computers that can give us pretty much any information we need. I went to the library near Harry's place and typed in James and Clara's names and there they were."
"This is amazing. What did you find out? Who are all these other couples?"
"The author, Daniel Barnes, was given Clara's dream journal by his father, and in it he found the dreams of eight of the couples. The most recent one was from the century before- Henry and Lydia- so he was able to track down their history, and it turned out one of their descendants also had a dream journal penned by Lydia that had been passed down. Hers included a few of the same ones as Clara, but also some new ones, including the one from the century before. It appears that we don't dream of all of our previous lives, just some of them, and always who came right before us. And the dreams always begin the day they meet, which happens to be your eighteenth birthday. Anyway, Barnes was able to trace everything back to Cassian and Aelia in 79 AD."
"So it really isn't just us this happened to," Draco said, and Hermione shook her head.
"Every century since the beginning of time," she remarked. "There was one strange thing though...it never mentions any dreams by the men, only the women."
"Are you saying I'm the only one?"
"As far as Barnes' research goes, yes. There are no journals from any of the men, and even his father said it was only Clara who had the dreams, not him."
Draco laughed. "For a moment I thought everything was going to be solved, but somehow it just became even more perplexing. Anything about how it all started?"
"Unfortunately no, there was nothing he found about why this pattern was occurring, only that it was."
"That's greatly disappointing. What's this last chapter about? 'Dancing'."
"It's the last dream they all have before they die. They're dancing in the woods."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
They were silent as Draco continued to process the new onslaught of information. He couldn't believe Hermione had done it, found the answers they were looking for- well at least some of them; but he sat up when he realized she hadn't actually answered either of the questions that had been plaguing him. As if she had read his mind, she spoke up.
"Draco, this book was written by James' son, and all of the journals he was given were with the descendants of these men who had lost their wives. Their first wives."
"What are you getting at, Granger?" Draco asked uncomfortably, though he already knew.
"They all found love again, that means that after I-"
"Stop it." Draco said, his voice firm.
"There's no dancing around it. It's obviously going to happen, we just don't know when. And-
"I said, stop it!" He flung the book off the table, and it hit the wall with a thud.
Hermione stilled in her seat for a moment, before picking up her wand. "Accio book," she said, and the tome picked itself up and began to soar to her, but then it stopped short, falling at her feet instead of into her outstretched hand.
Draco's breathing had been heavy from his outburst, but it caught at the sight of what had just happened. "Is that the other thing you were going to tell me about?" He asked, his voice softened.
"I don't think it's anything to worry about," she said, trying not to sound fussed. "Obviously Harry and Ron think otherwise, but I'll see McGonagall about it tomorrow and I'm sure she'll have some explanation for it."
"How is that not something to worry about? How is any of this not of concern to you? If you're losing your magic that means..." Draco didn't want to finish the sentence.
"Is everything alright here?"
Both Draco and Hermione jumped at the sound of Harry Potter's voice. How much had he heard?
"We're fine Harry," Hermione answered him. "Just a disagreement over one of his assignments."
It was clearly a lie, for he had definitely heard Draco's last words, which had nothing to do with muggle studies. Harry didn't push though.
"What are you doing up?" Hermione asked.
"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come have a cup of tea," Harry said making his way to the small kitchen.
"I'll join you." Hermione picked up her mug and the empty one in front of Draco. "Goodnight," she bid him.
Draco wanted her to stay, to at least hold her for a moment since he hadn't yet; apparently putting his mind at ease had been more important than enjoying her presence. He'd just have to steal a moment with her later in the day, and hopefully get her to put all thoughts of future lovers and (he didn't want to think it) death on the back-burner.