"'Mione? Hermione?" Harry called out to his friend, but she didn't respond to him. He had to softly shake her to get her attention.
"What?!" She angrily snapped at him. She was so focused on doing her homework she didn't even notice Harry's presence. Her books were scattered around the large table, not leaving any space for others. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her clothes were disheveled.
"You missed dinner," Harry frowned. "I got worried."
"Oh, I must've lost track of time." Had she really been in the library for 5 hours straight? She didn't even notice the time pass.
"The library is closing soon. You should go get some rest. Or we can go to the kitchen and ask for some food. You must be hungry." He offered. He started picking up and closing a few of Hermione's books.
"What are you doing? I'm not done yet!" Hermione exclaimed as she grabbed her books out of Harry's hands. She instantly scowled at herself for being so short with him. He was just being a good friend. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that. Let me just finish up here. I'll be up in half an hour."
"Okay. Just don't take too long." Harry agreed warily. He kissed her forehead and slightly squeezed her shoulder. Hermione's eyes watched him leave the library.
She rubbed her eyes and suddenly the tiredness hit her. She tried to get her focus back on her essay but just couldn't. She needed to go for a run to clear her head. She'd feel more awake after. Maybe she could focus then.
Hermione glanced at the clock and cursed. The library would close in half an hour. She didn't have time to run and get back here. She quickly packed her things and went to her room to drop them off. She proceeded to change into a pair of leggings and a sports bra. Soon, it would be curfew but if she cleared her head before it started, she could pull an all nighter.
Instead of being filled with energy as she had predicted, the run only tired her out more. Her breath was ragged and heartbeat uneven. She suddenly felt a pang of dizziness and nausea hit her and was desperate for something to hold onto. Quickly, she took in her surroundings, searching for a wall. The trees of the forest were closest to her so she jogged over there. Well, it was more of a stumble.
The tree was only a few meters away but it felt like she was climbing over mountains to get to it. Finally she got there and just slouched against it, letting herself drop to the ground. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there. She completely forgot about curfew. Fuck She cursed at herself. It must've been passed curfew already. Anxiety filled her chest. She knew she should've just gotten up right then and there. The later it got, the more trouble she'd face. She put her head in her hands and furrowed her brows. She started thinking about all the possible case scenarios. She wondered how much detention she'd get. What if this put her out of the running for Head Girl?
Hermione's breathing started to speed up, much like her heart. Soon, she found herself gasping for air in between sobs. She was mumbling all kinds of curses to herself as her self hatred grew.
"You know, it's not proper for girls to use such foul language." A voice condescendingly stated. Hermione looked up to see a tall, blurry figure standing in front of her. She blinked a couple times and saw that the figure was Draco Malfoy.
Instantly she scoffed and wiped her tears. "Fuck off." She started to get up, but the familiar dizziness greeted her. She stumbled, almost falling. Draco acted on instinct and grabbed her, holding her up straight. It took awhile for Hermione to catch her breath and steady herself. Her polite self thanked him.
"Don't get used to it, Granger. What are you moping around here for?" He asked her, a familiar sneer coming on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and started walking away from him. "It's passed curfew, you know. You're going to get caught if you walk right through the main building. And get me caught by default."
"Well how do you suppose I get to the dorms, then?" Hermione said, annoyance dripping in her voice.
"I have my ways." Draco said warily. Hermione looked at him for a second and thought about it. He was just looking out for himself. He thought she would snitch on him if she got caught.
"Well lead the way then." Hermione said impatiently.
"Not so fast. What's in it for me?" Typical Malfoy. Always looking out for himself.
"Besides not getting caught yourself?" Hermione asked him. He just nodded in an obvious way so Hermione just rolled her eyes. "I'll owe you one."
"You'll owe me one?" Draco scoffed. "Please, Granger, I'll need something more than just an empty promise."
"First of all, you don't need anything. Your daddy will buy you anything you want. Second, count your blessings. Me owing you one is probably the best thing that has ever happened to you."
"If you say so, Granger." He turned around and walked into the forest. "Are you coming?"
Hermione followed him into the forbidden forest cautiously. She knew she wasn't supposed to be here, and if she were caught she'd be in more trouble than she would've been for just breaking curfew. She should've weighed out her options beforehand. She silently cursed herself once more for acting so rash.
Draco didn't seem to notice anything. He led her to a tree that was hollowed out from the inside. He started climbing in, but Hermione stood still, brows furrowed. Draco rolled his eyes. "You won't make it through the tunnels without me Granger. I would like to cash in my favor in the future. No good to me if you get lost and die. Get in."
"You're a real asshole, you know." Hermione scoffed as she followed him in the tree, which indeed led through tunnels.
"Only to you."
He led her through the tunnels in silence. Apparently, he knew them inside out. It was probably hard work to memorize the maze. Hermione admired him for it, even though she knew she shouldn't have. If only he put this much work into his academics.
They reached a wall that Draco was able to push open. It led straight into the Gryffindor common rooms, which wasn't even supposed to be possible
"This is your stop, Granger." Draco told her as he motioned inside with his head. "Try not to get caught on the way to your room." Hermione rolled her eyes and got out of the tunnel. She turned around to thank Draco but the wall was already closed, and he was gone.
She got to her room, where she saw that Ginny was already asleep. Hermione quickly changed into her pajamas but didn't plan on sleeping. She had her mind set on finishing her essay for Transfiguration, which she managed to do within just a few hours.
Once she finished a calm washed over her. Still sitting up, she closed her eyes for a minute and took deep breaths. She felt content and proud.
Her moment of peace came to an end when suddenly her stomach growled. She forgot to stop by the kitchen to grab some supper. She hadn't eaten in hours. That must've been why she felt so weak in the forest. Hermione didn't have any food stashed away in her room. She knew Ron probably had a bunch. Her eyes traveled to the clock. 04:23. It was too late to wake him up. That would be selfish. Besides, breakfast would be in a couple hours anyway.
Reluctantly, she got into bed and pulled the covers over her. As soon as her head hit the pillow, the tiredness hit her too. Instantly, she fell into a deep dreamless sleep.