A/N: Short one! I'm working through some kinks. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer.

"Oi! Granger! Wake up, piss-head!"

I stared across the room with tired eyes, blocking the sunlight from me as it poured in through the window. It was morning, about an hour after sunrise, and I was back inside the manor.

But that wasn't the surprising bit.

"What happened last night…?" I asked, wiping the fatigue from my eyes, realizing my clothes were damp and that my hair was frizzer than usual.

Draco was there, smirking at me before tossing me the black dress I had packed for the funeral. "You got pissed off your arse and passed out in my bed," he answered, gesturing to our surroundings. "Oh — and you apparently fell into the courtyard fountain."

"Er —" I gaped at him, open-mouthed. "We didn't — We didn't —"

"We didn't have sex," he interjected, making finishing touches on his hair and dress robes. "Though I can't say the same about you and Nott."

I blanched, recalling bits and pieces that I remembered from the night before. To my knowledge, I'd been drinking with my best friend, trying to distract him from the fact that his estranged father had passed away, and then…nothing. It seemed, after that, the alcohol took over, leaving me with nothing but broken flashes. I sat with him by the fountain, reminiscing, drinking, and laughing together — but there was tension between us.

Like, non-platonic tension.

Draco faced me. "You'll have time to regret it later. Get dressed. The funeral starts in less than an hour."

Forty-Five Minutes Later

It was intensely awkward, entering the funeral grounds with no knowledge of what happened last night — and no chance to compare notes with Nott. I searched for him through the crowd of people and found him standing near the front, adjacent to the casket. It appeared he was having an even worse hangover, and that he'd likely fallen in the fountain with me.

Our eyes met for a moment, seconds before the proceedings began. It was a quick, fleeting look, one that left heat around my cheeks and neck, and confirmation that something had indeed happened between us.

I wheeled a look around the area and found Draco next — but he wasn't alone. His mother was with him, looking her usual flawless self. In the seconds that followed, the pair of them made their way to me and an introduction was in order.

"Mother, this is Hermione Granger — Harry Potter's friend," he explained, tossing a sideways look at me to gauge my reaction.

"Pleasure to meet you," Narcissa smiled, genuine enough. "Come, we'll chat once the proceedings are over."

I returned her smile and sat with them near the back.

It was an outdoor setting, similar to the one organized for Albus Dumbledore.

For some reason, that memory made this one all the more real. It was clear to me then, that this wasn't just a name written on parchment. Someone passed. Someone dear to Nott.

Now with a confusing mix of emotions tugging at my chest muscles, I sat with Draco and Narcissa, aware that she looked at me every now and then, whispering things to her son. It was strange behaviour, but I couldn't focus on them. I was focused entirely on my roommate, watching him and his reactions as people stood near the casket and left Theodore Nott Sr. with parting words.

No one cried.

But the moment Nott stood in front, was the moment I lost control.

There was something caught in his throat — words, tension, nervousness. It was all I could do, to prevent myself from running up there and holding his hand, walking him through the next few moments and hopefully, being there for him in a different capacity than last night.

Several people whispered to one another, noting the fact that he said nothing. It was a long silence, one that stretched two or three minutes, until finally he set his speech cards aside and turned to the casket.

"Goodbye, Father…I…I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

A/N: Any guesses as to how Hermione ended up in Draco's bed?

Cheers

xo.