A/N: Hello there guys! Thanks for keeping up with my story. I`m trying to post every Saturday, but things are a little crazy right now. This is my first fic, and I really want to do something more deep, but I`m not that confident with my writing in English. So I thought that something more light would be better. I´ll try to keep posting every week.
Chapter X
The next day was solely dedicated to my worries. I don`t even remember what I ate for breakfast or lunch, much less any of the classes. I think I may vaguely remember that someone got a potion wrong, and that the place got a stink smell of rotten eggs. But all my morning and evening were consumed with thoughts about my father been alive, and how he could be, and who could have helped him.
I was back at the Heads common room, and I didn`t even know how I got there. If my father is alive everything will change. Voldemort isn`t here, and the majority of hiss fellows Death Eaters are dead, or locked in Azkaban. Father won`t have anyone to take orders for, and Potter is still here if anything gets out of control.
Yes, I don`t have to worry about it. Come on, just because Blaise`s mother saw a bloke get some Polyjuice potion it doesn`t mean that my father managed to fake his death and escape the Aurors. It`s over Draco, get a grip. The war is over and you`re back at Hogwarts, and people hate you, but in the end you`re free. He won`t come back.
Just when I was beginning to feel better, and managed to relax a little on the couch, Hermione come in. I waited a bit for a red head to get after her, but this time she was alone.
-Oh, hi Draco.
-Where is ginger? I thought that she was on a mission to discover my plans to get you killed and begin another war.
She came to my side, let her bag fall on the floor, and sat on my right. Her hair was a little messy, and her face flushed a bit when I turned on the couch to face her.
-Er….She told me something about letting you alone a little to see if you can behave when she is not here to hex you. Ginny is just worried, but she is a good person. I actually can see the two of you getting along just fine.
She smiled tentatively at me, and I raised an eyebrow.
-Don`t give me that look. We hated each other from the first time we met, and look at us now. Sitting comfortably on a couch, having a civilized and friendly conversation. It wasn`t so hard, was it?
I snorted at that, and got a little close to her.
-No, not even a bit. You just had to punch me again, and attempt to compromise my good looks. And quite frankly, I don`t want little Weasley fists remotely close to my face.
She smirked for a moment, then her eyes widened and she blushed. I was really close to her, to the point that I could feel her breath on my face. That`s when I noticed that her eyes are not completely brown, but have a bit of an amber. And when I noticed that I was too close, and proceeded get away to the other side of the couch. She glanced at me and furred her brows, before she sighed.
-I`ll not apologize for that, for any of the times. You deserved that. And I don`t think that I could make your face worse even if I tried.
-Don`t try to deny Hermione, I know I`m handsome and you think that too.
-Not even a bit. Your ego is big enough, I don`t need to increase it further.
-Please do, I would love that.
-I know you would.
We stopped talking for a few minutes, and she got more comfortable on the couch, or so she tried. It was a small one, and her legs were on it, but she was trying not push me. After a few attempts she stopped, and when she went to put her legs on the floor again, I grabbed them and put on my lap. She was started when I touched her, then she looked at me quizzically.
-Stop moving, you can put them on my lap, I don't mind.
That`s when her face got flushed again. I really like it when I can make her do it. She avoid my eyes and her nose moves in a way that make me think that she`s adorable. Ok Draco, stop right there. She has a boyfriend you git, and even if in the past this didn´t matter, it`s Hermione Granger we are talking about here, and you can`t try to seduce her, even if it`s really tempting. She was still trying not to look at me, and I could feel that she was tense.
-So tell me, how was your holyday? Apart from the incident, I mean.
That caught her attention, and made she look at me. But her expression was of pure guilty, and I regret almost immediately asking her.
-About that, I`m really sorry Draco. I know that I told you this before, but I really am, and I don`t even know why I put it on.
-That`s because you`re an annoying know-it-all, that love to put her nose on people business.
-Hey! And you are a selfish prat.
-And you still like me.
-Pompous git.
-Love you too.
I smirked at her and she tried to grimace, but the side of her lips twisted and she smiled in the end. Then she turned her body a little to reach the bag on the floor, and pulled out a book. She opened it and I started do trace patterns on her knee. It was surprisingly comfortable to just sit with her while she reads.
-You didn`t told me about your mother. How is she? You were so happy when the letter came.
I took my eyes off the fire and turned to her. She was still reading, but I could see that she looked at me twice from her eyelashes.
-She`s fine. We talked a lot and I think that she is getting better. We spend almost every day together.
-Almost?
-Yeah, I mentioned the war one time, and that it changed me, and she was gone for a day. But in the end she came back.
-That`s not bad. It is good to talk about things like that. The more you try to pretend it is not there, the more difficult it is to get over with. We fought a war. We lost friends, people that we loved, but now we`re free to live without fear.
She looked at my eyes and smiled, and at that moment my stomach gave some flips, and all my body relaxed. I smiled and she returned to her book.
-Blaise came too.
-The guy with the "plans"?
-What?
I gave her a confused look and she giggled a little.
-Ginny mentioned something like that.
-Oh, I see.
We didn`t talk again for another hour. She was too immersed in her book, and after the mention about Blaise I couldn`t help but think about yesterday. Let`s face things, it`s been almost six months since the end of the war. Shacklebolt would have know if anything was wrong by now. Potter and Weasley are there too, they can`t be so thick to not see something like that.
The orange abomination got on my feet out of nowhere, and it was my time to give him a triumphant look. He merely shook his head, and wandered to my armchair. He lept on it with easy, and slipped on my robes that were sprawled there. Hermione shifted and I looked at her.
-Gryffindor and Slyterin are playing tomorrow.
-They are?
-Honestly Draco, I can`t understand why you`re not playing. You like Quidditch as much as Harry and Ron, or so it looked like it. I think Quidditch is the only thing you guys think about.
-Not the only one. Guys have amazing creative imaginations.
I gave her a suggestive look.
-Yeah, fine whenever. But back to the point, why did you quit?
I signed and began to play with her knees again.
-Of all sixth and seventh years, just fifteen or twenty people maximum came back. The Slyterin common room was full of brats from first to fifth year. This year team will be pitiful. None of the older guys want to play, and the rest is full of idiots.
-And?
I stopped playing with her knee, and looked at her. The book she was reading was closed on her lap, and she was glancing at me with that annoying caring look of hers.
-And nothing, this is it.
-Draco….
-What? I told you, this is it.
-I don`t think so.
-Of course not, do enlighten me Miss Granger.
-I think you`re afraid of what people will tell, or do, if you get back.
The amused smile that was playing on my lips turned into a grimace, and I couldn`t look her in the eyes. My body went rigid, and I tried my best not to look surprised at her words.
-I`ll have to say that you`re wrong this time Granger, as much as this seem impossible to you. I couldn`t care less to what people would say.
-I thought we were friends Draco, why you keep lying to me?
-I`m not lying.
She signed and took her legs off my lap.
-I won`t judge you. You told me you wanted to change, and I can see now that you`re trying. I can help too, you know? Stop trying to make everything seem like the whispers and the glares don`t bother you, because I know it does. You can talk to me Draco.
-I`m not pretending anything, I don`t mind.
She was beginning to really annoy me. It`s a thing all gryffindors have, this habit of wanting to meddle in everything, and help everybody.
-Yes you are, and you know it. You`re just afraid to tell someone.
-I told you I am not.
-Stop trying to push me away.
-Granger can you stop this-
-No Draco, it`s good to talk, I told you before, it hel-
-CAN YOU BLOODY SHUT UP?
She paused and her eyes widened. She looked at me like I have hurt her, and then began to get up.
-Hermione wait, I`m sorry.
But she didn`t stop, and the next thing I knew, she was gone and I could hear the loud bang of her door been forcefully shut. This is just marvelous. One minute we are talking comfortably like good friends, the other she have to go and annoy the hell out of me. I`m not some sappy Hufflepuff to be pouring my sentiments.
It`s not her business if I want to talk with her or not. Merlin women are so infuriating!