What could be worse than being stuck down a dark pit during the night - within a place you're not allowed in - with both your wrist and your wand screwed up, along with a despicable, mute boy that hates you as much as you hate him?

Nothing, really.

Even if it had started to rain inside, things could not get worse, Hermione thought.

Well, maybe being hung upside down by only one foot would have. While completely naked. And get her picture taken by a giggling Malfoy that would happen to have a camera.
Well, yeah, okay, things could have been worse, in a way. She rolled her eyes. Except for her optimistic brain's trials to look on the bright side, she was still dipped into shit.

How long had it been since Malfoy had found her out ? Ten minutes ? Thirty ? Almost an hour ?
Not a word had been spoken ever since, and both of them were sitting on opposite corners of the small room. Even when she decided to take the cloak off, moments before - because, well, breathing under there was quite tiring - the boy did not deign to react.

Apparently, having been witnessed by a Gryffindor while getting - unkindly - dumped by his girlfriend was the worst thing that could have happened to him, ever. Especially by that one Gryffindor girl.

And that heavy, hateful muteness was so much harsher than any of his sarcasms, Hermione almost sighed in relief when he finally broke the silence.

"Could you please breath a little quieter, Granger ?" he hissed.

"And why would I ?" she hissed back, hiding her alleviation.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because we wouldn't want your disgusting body sounds to lure Filch here ?"

She chuckled. "You really are not the best in spells, right ?"

He raised an eyebrow, scornful. He obviously did not get that.
"I wonder if you're at least making sense in your own head. Not that I give a damn..."

Hermione sighed. Draco really had no idea Pansy had hexed their trap with both a silencing and an illusion spell - that was making the pit look just like some average floor from up there. Filch would definitely not get lured by any noise, nor would he find them in his morning round.

But the question was, who would ?

At the thought that Harry didn't have the Map anymore, a sneaky anguish started crawling under Hermione's ribs. Almost without realizing, she let out in a whisper. "What if no one ever finds us ?"

"And I'm supposed to be the stupid one ?"
Malfoy chuckled. "We're in the middle of the fucking library, smartestass. And besides, I told Blaise I'd come here, he'll come to pull me out in the morning for sure." He added, smirking, "However for you, I don't know."

Sighing again, she told him about Pansy's spells just to shut him up. Which worked.
He got up on his feet with obvious terror.

"What ?! You're kidding, right ?"

"Yeah, of course, since I've got nothing better to do" she replied, rolling her eyes.

God knows why he trusted her this time.

"That cunt..." he muttered for himself, starting again to pace around the pit as if a way out would have appeared since.

She looked at him for a few seconds, biting her lip while her mind ran full speed to scan every option. "At least, Pansy knows you're here" she tried, making him stop pacing to give her a tired look.

"Your deductive skills are beyond measure."

Deciding to ignore this - as hard as it was - she continued. "She can't let you rot in here until the end of days."

He chuckled with a joyless smile. "Oh, my dear Gryffindorish-gullible cell mate, you really don't know Pansy." And he sat back where he had before, letting his head rest against the wall, again.

He looked so hopeless Hermione bit the inside of her cheek.

"What have you done to her…" she whispered, not really asking for an answer.

"None of your pathetic business."

"How can you hurt a girl so deeply she'd become able to wish you dead ?" she continued, ignoring his angry stare commanding her to shut up. "What kind of person are you ?"

Again, he got up on his feet, furious, and at Hermione's surprise he actually started to justify himself.

"I was bored, okay ? I've had enough of her and her absolute control freak bullshit ! Her perfect relationship plan." He ran a hand through his ash-grey hair. "I can stand getting hurt, or stressed out. I could even survive being cheated on, like, really. But if there's one thing I cannot handle within a relationship, it definitely is being bored. And..." He sighed. "Pansy is nothing but boredom."

He stopped, suddenly looking away as he sighed once more. "Why do I even tell you this."

But Hermione got up on her feet too, taking a step toward him. "And what did you do ? How did you… what got her that mad ?" she asked as softly as possible, really afraid he would snap again. God knows why she suddenly got interested in that despicable boy's life that night.
He looked at her with despise, but he didn't snap. And after a deep, guilty breath, he even did answer.

"…I may have spend a night or two with Daphne..."

Hermione bit her lip at that. Deeply. She started feeling Pansy's anger crawling inside her flesh as if it was her own. How could someone do that to his beloved one ? To anyone ? With her own best friend ? Several times ?
How could the earth handle such a heartless bastard ? Without thinking, her hand went flying to give that very bastard a huge slap.

But again, Malfoy was faster.

He caught her mid-movement, and an intense pain exploded inside her wrist where his fingers had clawed.
"Aaah…!" she cried out with urgency. "Let go of me ! Let me go !"

But struggling was only increasing the pain. And Malfoy did not let go, looking down at her with indignation.

"You actually tried to hit me ?" he asked with a calm shock, tightening his grip.

"You're hurting me ! Get off, let me go !"

"Gryffindor are such pussies…" he spat.
And he tightened his grip even more.

"My wrist is broken" she finally cried out, almost feeling tears wetting her eyes. "You hurt me ! Stop !"

That may not have been totally true, but that surprisingly worked. The shocked boy let go of her immediately - even slightly backing off. "Oh sorry I… it was not meant to… I was… I did not... but you tried to hit me !"

"Yes I did" she growled back, massaging her injury after quickly wiping away her tears. God, the pain was dreadful. "Because what you did to Pansy was outrageous !"

"Oh yeah ? Because Pansy's your friend now, of course."

"Friend of mine or not that's not the point ! Betraying someone who trusts you with her heart is as despicable as…" she stopped for a second. "Wait…"

Meeting his surprisingly regretful grey eyes, she asked slowly. "...did you actually apologize to me ?"

He frowned before a smirk made its way across his lips. "You wish, Granger."

"I'm absolutely positive you did !" she let out with half a smile.

"Your tiny wrist must not be the only thing that's broken, girl" he chuckled. "If I were you I'd go ask for a mental checkup at the hospital wing once we're…"

...out.

A heavy silence abruptly fell between them.

Having the one Draco Malfoy not being able to finish that sentence suddenly made it all real. They were stuck down here, and God knew for how long. God knew if it wasn't even forever.

"What if no one ever finds us" she whispered once again, her eyes suddenly clouding.

She let go of her sprained wrist and brought her valid hand on her face. To hide it. To hide from the realization that, maybe, this was as bad as it seemed.

"Come on, you really want to be the stupid one tonight ? Don't start with such nonsense" Malfoy drawled, but the trouble in his voice was crystal-clear.

As she didn't answer, her hand still resting on her face, he took a step toward her and added "there is no spell that lasts forever, you know it better than anyone. Don't act desperate, Granger."

"I know that, but we don't need forever to die of thirst or hunger. And that kind of spell can easily last half a year."

He paused for a second, looking around, before trying again. "This illusion spell doesn't make an actual ground. We're in the library, someone will eventually fall down too and he'll have his wand."

"The trap had been set in the Runes and Forgotten spells section for a reason, Malfoy" she muttered, taking her hand off her face to look at him. "No one ever comes here but me, not to mention that tomorrow begins the Christmas Holiday."

"The Holiday ?" he asked, stunned. "Tomorrow is… wow, I didn't pay attention at what day it was…"

"Like you've ever paid attention to anything…" she sighed, and before he could protest, she added. "Pansy really worked on this. Looks like she meant to leave nothing to chance. We're doomed down here. We're…"

She felt her knees get weak, and all of a sudden she wanted to burst into tears. She almost jumped when Malfoy's hands caught her by the shoulders.

"Hey, don't panic, ok ? We're not dying here, come on" he tried to chuckle a little, which was almost convincing. "We cannot die here, that's nonsense. Something will eventually occur and everything will be okay. You're just having some kind of... panic attack."

His eyes looked so concerned, so sweet at that moment that Hermione surprised herself actually feeling relieved. It even brought a shy smile on her face.

"Yeah… I guess" she just whispered. And he let go of her almost immediately, trying to get back to his nonchalant attitude.

"Well, good… If you're not freaking out anymore, I mean. You were giving me chills."

And as he got back to sit down on his now favorite spot of the pit, she smiled again for she was thinking that even though the situation was kind of desperate, not being alone was somehow heartwarming. Even if her cell mate was Draco Malfoy.

Even that way.