If you act -Hermione jumped at the voice behind her like it's there, people are going to start suspecting that you think something is there.
She looked over her shoulder, finding Malfoy watching the Centaurs disappear ahead of them. It's better than running out of their path. I still haven't proven that they can hurt us. I-
Unlikely.
She gave him a look as he passed her, and then set herself into motion so she wouldn't be following behind him. You were just saying last week that-
I tested the theory. It didn't hold up.
She raised her eyebrow at him, because if he honestly thought she was going to take his word on that, he didn't know the first thing about her. You touched a vision?
No, Granger, I just guessed and figured I'd go with that conclusion, he drawled. I don't know whether I should hold your inane questions against you or the people you normally associate with, though I suppose it reflects on you either way.
She had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out at his own failings in that department. She didn't need to anger him when the meeting tonight was about something they needed him to do. Details?
He grumbled something as he turned into another corridor, and she sped up her steps to walk just a pace in front of him. Scorpions. It stung my hand, but there were no effects.
Did you feel it on your hand?
I just said-
I mean the scorpion itself.
He paused at the question or the murmur of voices in the next hall. She didn't think he would have been the one to test it, but she couldn't think of any reasons for him to be lying now. Yes.
Huh. Was it as if you were actually holding one, or did it just feel like something was there? Did the stinger appear to go into your skin, or
She slowed her steps when she realized his weren't falling beside her, and half-turned towards him. He was standing several paces away, looking back at her with a stoic expression. She opened her mouth to ask him why he stopped, but when laughter broke out in the next corridor, he only raised his eyebrows at her in answer.
Hermione hummed, shifting her bag, and turned towards the library. A small group of students were loitering along the wall, discussing a snowball fight that had broken out over the weekend. She expected Pince to come out at any moment to usher them back to their common room. Hermione just hoped they wouldn't decide on the library instead they seemed the type to wander aimlessly and snicker in aisles.
Hermione made her way around them, awkward in the sudden hush of their conversation as they watched her. Stepping into the library brought the familiar rush of comfort she had longed for far before the war was over. She didn't think there was any other place in the world that could mirror what she felt here.
She dropped her bag onto their table, then disappeared into the stacks to find the text on a Starthistle brew. It had to be made a day in advance, so she would need to start it tonight. It wasn't a difficult process, and she felt a bit giddy with excitement that she could study for classes tonight.
Hermione smiled at Justin as he turned into the aisle, but it slid from her face when she took in the dark circles and pale skin. Found it? he asked, rubbing his eyes as he smiled tiredly at her.
Yeah, she answered, wedging her finger into the pages to keep her place. Are you all right?
Pavorlarua in three classes today. I got two detentions and an extra assignment.
Hermione winced, falling into step with him as they made their way to the back. When do you have the detentions?
One on Saturday, and one after holiday.
At least we'll be done with this mess by the time you have the second one?
He grinned. That's what I was thinking.
Justin dropped into the chair next to Malfoy when they reached the table, and Malfoy's eyebrows rose before his gaze slowly lifted to Justin from the Charms book he was holding. Hermione sat down, watching Justin run a hair through his curls. It was the first time Justin hadn't acted like sitting at a table with Malfoy was physically painful.
Hermione cleared her throat, flipping her book open in front of her. She lifted her bag to her lap, digging for parchment and ink. Malfoy tested the visions, Hermione said.
I know, he told me on Saturday, Justin told her, turning to grab the back of his chair. He twisted, and Hermione cringed at the loud cracks that followed. The stinger looked like it went into his palm, but he didn't feel anything.
Hermione nodded absently as her eyebrows furrowed at Malfoy's shoulder. She distantly noticed his chin turning at the top of her vision as he looked for what she was staring at. Wait, Saturday? I thought you met up last night?
We did, but we went to the greenhouses on Saturday. Justin motioned to his bag. For the volunteer work. He lowered his chin and raised his eyebrows at her, and she suspected he was seconds away from giving her a wink.
I suppose I'll cross stealth off the list of any possible things a Hufflepuff is good at, Malfoy muttered, turning another page in his book.
What? Justin asked.
Nothing, Hermione said. I thought-
You're more obvious than-
I thought you said that Justin went to the greenhouses? Hermione asked Malfoy, cutting him off.
I did. Justin shook his head, though the wrinkled forehead and staring was enough to show his confusion.
But he implied-
You assumed, Malfoy said. Does it matter?
Hermione stared at him, trying to puzzle out why he had tried to make her think that Justin had been the only one to get them. She asked if they had questioned Malfoy volunteering he had said Justin was the one who volunteered
Malfoy made an aggravated noise, snapping his book shut, and Hermione wondered if Malfoy was forced to help there. That might explain how he even knew about the volunteer opportunity, and why he had said-
I'm lost. Justin held up a hand. Spare me the wit, Malfoy.
She didn't understand why Malfoy kept trying to hide things from them. It would be a lot easier if he stopped acting so defensively, and just told them things instead of leaving them to riddle it out. Maybe that was part of the lack of trust. As a group, they barely held onto any semblance of trust, and that little bit was only there because they all risked consequences if they were found out. Anything beyond their common problems were open for ridicule or school-wide exposure. Not that she would do that, but she supposed she hadn't been very convincing of that until now.
And it wasn't like she would trust Malfoy to not use something against her.
Hermione shook her head to clear her thoughts, and was slightly unnerved to find both men staring at her. All right. Uh yes. Have either of you gone somewhere outside of Hogwarts since this all started?
No, Justin answered.
Why? Malfoy asked at the same time.
I've never had a vision outside of Hogwarts. Here, I see at least three a day now, in some level of intensity. At Harry's this weekend, I didn't see anything. I even looked out for anything strange, but nothing. And that isn't the first time I've gone out.
Maybe Harry has wards up? Something in his wards that prevents them from entering?
She shook her head at Justin. Even if he did, I've been to Ron's, the Weasleys', Neville's, and I've gone shopping. Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, London Nothing.
The Pavorlarua may not be able to follow, or be willing to leave two sources for one, Malfoy said. Or they travel slowly enough that they don't reach where you are until you're already back at Hogwarts.
Hermione nodded. That's a possibility.
Makes sense to me, Justin said, tapping his fingers against the table. When are we going to get the Moondrops?
Hermione glanced around them to be sure there was no one trying to eavesdrop on the strangeness of their group. She pulled her wand to cast a quick Muffliato, and the death glare Malfoy was aiming at Justin's hands was transferred to her wand.
It makes people hear a buzzing, like silence, instead of our conversation, she explained.
Malfoy was burying his gaze into her eye sockets, and she shifted in discomfort with the intensity. Maybe he got angry from someone casting spells around him that he didn't approve of. Or maybe he had heard it before, from the source that created it, and knew it was one privately owned.
Justin hadn't seemed to notice anything amiss, his fingers still tapping. Are we going tonight?
No. Hermione cleared her throat. I need to boil the Starthistle with Boom Berry juice and a pinch of shredded Dittany. It takes a day, but it should be ready tomorrow night.
That's good for me. Justin nodded.
Hermione looked at Malfoy in question, who was still staring at her. For the span of five breaths, she knew he was going to say no, and began formulating why that wasn't acceptable. Fine, he said, and she let out a rush of air.
Good. Justin, can you get the Prefect schedules for tomorrow?
Yeah. Did you get the He waved his hand, lowering his chin again.
Malfoy muttered something about crossing intelligence and short-term memory off the Hufflepuff list as well. Hermione decided not to turn Justin's confusion into embarrassment by reminding him of the silencing spell she had put up.
I got the cloak, yes. We'll meet in the cauldron room at eight. Most students should be in their commons by then.
Great.
Fine.
Wonderful.
That's not fitting over all of us.
That's not even fitting over me.
Hermione rolled her eyes. Trust me.
Malfoy didn't look pleased with that answer.
Look, we'll just hunch a bit, all right? Just get under it and you'll see. Hermione had reached the end of her patience five minutes ago, when she had to go through step-by-step directions for the second time, and soothe paranoia for the twentieth.
Justin swung his doubtful look away when she glanced at him, but Malfoy had no trouble letting her see how incredulous he was. She was fairly sure he only decided to saunter over to prove her wrong, and not because there was a chance she'd be right. She was a bit worried Justin was taller than her, and Malfoy was easily taller than both of them but she thought the two might be near equal with Harry and Ron.
Malfoy stopped next to her and turned to face the direction she and Justin were. He didn't seem inclined to get any closer, and Hermione shuffled the step over with a huff, pulling Justin with her. She opened her mouth to make a comment on the plausibility of Malfoy bending the stiffness of his spine or the stick up his bum, but went with something a bit more pleasant.
All right, just pull it over Hermione yanked the middle over her head, and was pleased to see both sides come down as well. Now hunch over a bit, just until it hits- Ah, see! See, it-
You're expecting us to Malfoy started to say.
It's just a few corridors, a flight of steps, and out the Entrance Hall. Once we're outside, we can take it off. You're so-
If we move too much to the side, or one of us straightens the slightest amount, it's off the ground.
Then don't move to the side or straighten at all, Hermione answered sharply. She didn't know why people just didn't do as she told them to do.
Should we walk around the room a bit to get used to it? Justin asked.
If you need to practice walking, it may be better to leave you here, Malfoy said.
If I could stay, I would be, Justin answered hotly. But if you don't want to practice walking in these positions, fine. If someone sees the cloak comes up on your side, I suggest you push him out, Hermione.
Or, Malfoy started to say, and Hermione could tell by the low, dangerous quality that he was about to spit out something scathing.
Or we get started right now, Hermione said quickly. I'm casting a muffling charm on everyone's feet -Hermione waved her wand at their feet and if you need to pause while we're going, just tap the person next to you. All right?
Her heart was pounding the entire way through the dungeons. She didn't have to stoop as much as Justin or Malfoy, but she hunched low to give as much of the cloak to them as possible. A cramp was starting up in her neck and lower back, but she imagined it was far worse for the other two. She was certain that one of them was going to move too much, or she'd put her foot out too far to one of the sides, and they'd all go sprawling out into the open. Justin started breathing heavier every time they passed lingering students, and they stopped seven times before they made it to the staircase.
In a way, it was more difficult in the cramped space with Justin and Malfoy than it had ever been with Harry and Ron. She didn't mind rubbing arms and shoulders with Justin, but the first time Malfoy's arm brushed the side of her breast, she nearly tripped over herself. Justin stepped on the side of her foot three times, and Malfoy was in a constant battle against his instincts to walk away from them.
Malfoy swayed to the side as if he was about to walk away from them, and Hermione quickly tried to follow. She grabbed for Justin, yanking him with her, and his foot slammed on top of her own. Hermione made a small squeak of pain as she crashed into Malfoy's side, Justin's slouched weight causing enough momentum for Malfoy to step back for balance. He grunted lowly, and his arm flew out from between them before his hand grabbed her elbow.
Suw, Justin breathed, in what might have been an apology.
Hermione let out a shaky breath, pushing her shoulder off Malfoy's chest as she righted herself. She could feel his fingers clench around her elbow, relax, and then clench again before dropping away. It was either a warning, or just something he did when he was angry. She knew his jaw followed the same routine, and when he was really furious, a vein at his temple did.
They took a moment to make sure they were covered, and Hermione lightly poked both of them in the ribs to signal taking a step up the stairs they were both a second later than she was, and her trainers made a brief appearance. The two students flirting halfway up the stairs didn't seem to notice, though.
She jumped when Malfoy's pointy finger stabbed her in the side, but she took the step with him. Justin was a second late, but she had forgotten to notify him while she was busy thinking of her vicious revenge if Malfoy did that again. She searched for both their arms, smirking when Malfoy was the one to jump this time as her fingers closed around his wrist. She gave them both a tug with each step, and they built a rhythm halfway up the staircase.
Hermione held back a sigh of relief when they reached the top of the stairs, but Justin was panting next to her. She flinched at his urgent poking of her hip, and she grabbed Malfoy's sleeve before he moved.
Here? Malfoy whispered so lowly that her brain needed a few seconds to interpret it.
Hermione lowered her head to ease the cramp in her neck, and rested her arms on the slant of her thighs. A trickle of sweat ran down from her temple, and she pulled in a deep breath of hot air. The Entrance Hall seemed larger than it had the first time she ever stepped into it. The Forbidden Forest must have been a world away.
At least two dozen Thestrals weaved their way through the trees ahead of them, ink black moving over skeletons under the blue taint of the moon. Their white eyes, gleaming in the dark, was the first thing Hermione noticed about them. Some of the wings fluttered as heads were turned towards the three of them, but none of the animals moved to come near them.
Eeriness took root at her spine, and she wasn't sure if it was that or Malfoy's touch that broke out a wave of goosebumps. He stilled her step forward, and she turned her head to look at him. He glowed a faint blue in the dark, his eyes never straying from the creatures. She didn't even see him blink.
Wait until they pass, he whispered.
Until what passes? I already asked you two what you were looking at-
And then followed it by answering it yourself, Malfoy hissed, his hand dropping from her when he was sure she wasn't going to start walking again. She rubbed the spot, irked by the warmth he left behind.
Thestrals, then. Must have been difficult for you to confirm it. Justin shot a glare at Malfoy, then turned his head back to look at what was just the black lines of trees and fog-covered ground for him. Aren't they a bad omen?
A misconception, Hermione murmured.
How do we know what's a vision and what's not? This is obviously real, seeing as how I can't see it, but I say we just act like everything is real, considering where we are.
If we knew where we were. Malfoy would have only sounded more annoyed had he pushed his voice into a whine.
Hermione rolled her eyes, pulling her robe tighter around her. They said it was southwest in the forest.
I don't think anyone bothered traveling that deep. Justin tilted his head. Or lived to tell about it.
We should have turned when we reached that twisted tree, Malfoy said again.
And we would have run into a big family of hungry spiders, Hermione snapped. We had to work our way around the damaged trees, but it didn't throw us that far off course. According to the Point-Me-
We're still lost. Malfoy gave her a challenging look, but her glare was lost under the passing of clouds over the moon.
What time is it?
It's time to walk, Hermione bit out, stepping over a fallen tree, and then gave an apologetic look to Justin. He was too busy scowling to the west to notice it.
I thought you said something about getting a map? Justin asked.
Hermione waved her hand. That was something else. Not for the forest.
Oh. Justin cracked a twig, and cursed softly, glancing around them. What kind of map?
Hermione hesitated, too distracted to correct Malfoy when he began to lead them more east than she would have preferred. A, uh Well, there wasn't much harm in letting them know about it now. It was a map that showed the locations of people in Hogwarts at any given time.
So you guys always had the cloak and that map?
For some years, yes.
How convenient, Malfoy drawled.
Watch out, Malfoy you might sound bitter.
That Potter was born with Felix Felicis in place of blood? I'm not bit-
Hardly. Harry has had a life no one would envy, and-
And the majority of people would never make it out alive in half the situations he got involved in, yet it always worked out for Potter. You-
Yes, it's a conspiracy. The world is against you, and-
Well, it sort of is, Justin said.
Hermione grumbled to herself, and Malfoy made some low, angry sound that reminded her of an animal.
They attempted to head in a diagonal line towards the south, but were forced to stray every time they heard something begin to get too close to them in the dark. Howling, shrieks, running hooves, and breaking twigs surrounded them in various distances, and all of them took to looking around them as often as they did in front of them.
They get off track enough, according to the Point-Me spell, that they began working their way through the thickets and sections of fallen trees. Hermione had no idea what time it was, but she could feel the strain in her arms and legs as she climbed over a downed tree, and she knew it was getting too late.
Malfoy gave the next tree a hard look, its trunk wider than the three of them combined, and reached up to get a grip on it. He hefted himself on top of it with a small grunt of exertion, and Justin followed after him after three attempts to find a grip. Hermione raised her eyebrows at the tree, reaching up to touch the sides of it. She gave a hop, but her fingertips still didn't reach the top.
Got it? Justin asked, his face shining in sweat as he peered at her over the thick curve of bark.
It made her feel her own sweat sliding down her face and spine, and she shoved back the strands of hair that had been stuck to her skin. I'll just go under.
She looked down at the space between the ground and tree, and squatted to shine her Lumos into the dark. Something scampered further into the shadows, five rats stared back at her, and dozens of bugs crawled. Hermione popped up so quickly that she lost her balance, staggering back two steps.
I changed my mind!
Justin grinned at her. Afraid of some crawlies?
Do you want to go under there? she asked, her arms flying out when her feet lifted off the ground.
Justin pulled up his wand, levitating her towards the top of the tree. Not at all. Unless there was something really-
Okay, just-
-or rare but entertaining. Then I might. Or-
Are you two serving tea up there, or do you have plans to actually move?
Hermione's feet scraped bark, and she turned, wide-eyed, to Justin. All right, just-
-go all the way around-
Justin released her from the spell as he swept his arm to the side, and Hermione cried out when her rapidly circling arms did not grant her the sudden ability to fly. Her eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the impact, but there was just a jerk of her body followed by weightlessness.
She opened her eyes with a shaky breath, looking at the moon through the barren branches, and then slid her eyes over towards a blur of white. Malfoy looked down at her, the corner of his mouth twitching, and his lips raised in a smirk when she narrowed her eyes.
Was that bravery or stupidity in your Gryffindor traits? Though, to be fair, I could never tell the difference. Malfoy was entirely too amused.
I'm sorry, Hermione. I hadn't realized you weren't properly settled!
She would have been properly settled had Justin not ended the spell with a jerk of his arm and sent her flying over the edge. She should have transfigured a rock into stairs instead of allowing a person to levitate her when said person tended to talk with their hands. At least he had cast it again before she hit the ground.
Just turn me upwards, Justin.
Yeah, sure. I just didn't- Justin cut off as she slammed her hands into the tree to stop from banging her head against it. Sorry, angle.
Just release the spell now, Justin, thank you! Hermione took a deep breath in preparation, and Malfoy's snickering grew louder behind her.
She hit her feet solidly, her knees wobbling slightly, and then straightened herself up. She pushed her hair back again, brushing her palms down her clothes, and then turned towards Malfoy. She was momentarily distracted by the shape of his grin, but it didn't slow down the momentum of her arm as she smacked him in the shoulder. The grin dropped from his face before she could properly calculate all the ways it made him appear different. Her eyes were reluctant to leave the lines around his mouth she hadn't noticed before, but she gave a satisfied huff at his glare.
He stepped back from her, his eyes narrowed, and turned his face slightly to the right. She didn't know why he felt it necessary to give her the warning look she had the wand, after all.
What time do you think it is? Justin asked as he stepped towards them from where he'd landed, brushing dead leaves from the bottom of his trousers.
Malfoy pushed his hair back, and wiped a line of sweat from his temple with the heel of his palm. Now that you're both done with your usual routine of making a mockery of yourselves, I believe it's time to head back.
Back? she asked. We can't go back now. We could run into the Moondrops any minute now.
I agree. We came this far, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we don't want to get lost in here aga-
We're not lost, Hermione grumbled.
She looked over at Malfoy to continue with the list of reasons why they wouldn't be turning around, but the words died in her throat when she met the calculation in his look. There was something else there that made her heart pick up speed. As if he was waiting for something, and fully expected her to get it wrong. A tentative line of opportunity or trust was taut in front of them, and she remembered his concern for being late for whatever appointment he had to keep at eleven every night.
We'll go back, she said, and Malfoy's eyes lifted to look over her head.
What? Why? Hermione, I'm tired as well, but-
It's late. Her mind scrambled for another excuse when Justin looked on the verge of arguing. We got lost. At this point, we're not sure where the Moondrops are, or how long it will take us to get back with them when we don't know our way.
So we should find it, and then-
No, it'll take too much time, and we'll waste what we harvest. Let's go back and look through more maps. Not that those were going to help them a great deal, but they might find something. She'd ask Hagrid if she didn't think he would tell Harry about it.
More maps? Justin asked, looking back the way they came and heaving a sigh.
We're not lost! Hermione snapped, tripping over a rock.
A hand grabbed her arm to help steady her, and she was surprised to find Malfoy on the other end of it. He had yanked his grasp away before she even looked at him, negating whatever instinct had him reaching for her in the first place. She imagined she would have met the ground had she not found the balance herself.
Thanks, she muttered. Malfoy ignored her, looking ahead in the weak wandlight of Justin's Lumos.
If we weren't lost, we'd be back at the castle by now, Malfoy said.
Hermione had to force herself not to laugh when he jerked away from a swaying branch, his eyes darting up and down the tree trunk. She looked over at Justin to share some of the humor, but he was busy pointing his wand at a bush. Justin, I need the light.
Right. His voice came out tight as he swung the light back to her hand, and side-stepped to stand closer to her.
We're going the right way-
Perhaps you're casting it wrong.
Hermione gave Malfoy a bewildered look. It's a first-year spell, I'm not casting it wrong.
Yet you lead us into nothingness for hours, and-
That was because of the thickets!
Oh. His amusement might have been relieving to the tension between all of them, had it not been for the angry look he gave her afterward. Of course it couldn't have been your own fault-
Don't start with that rubbish again. I've told you a hundred times-
You do love to exaggerate, Granger.
And I'm the hypocrite? You get a scratch and it's a fatal wound!
I didn't even say anything about it!
What? Say an Hermione tilted her head at the way Malfoy's eyes had just gone wide. Wh-
His lips pressed into a thin line, and his hand hung in the air for a second before snapping out to grab the top of her arm. Fear shot through her when she felt the tugging sensation at the back of her bellybutton, and her eyes connected with the steel grey of Malfoy's. The resignation she found there did nothing to alleviate her flare of panic, but Justin's hand wrapped around her wrist the moment her fingertips touched his skin.
The world spun, and Hermione shut her eyes, her hands grabbing onto anything for purchase. Her stomach rolled with nausea, but she fought it back, sucking in air until her lungs were filled. It came rushing out a moment later when her back hit something hard and unforgiving, and there was a space of heartbeats in which she couldn't pull oxygen through her panic-stricken throat. She blinked at a high ceiling, wheezing in another breath.
A hand pulled sharply away from her, fabric tugging loose in her grip, and Malfoy came into view above her. She didn't even have time to scrutinize the panic in his expression before he was hauling her to her feet. She gripped her wand, but any thought of attack was lost when his knuckles skimmed from her ribs to her hip.
What-
Sh. He ripped the Invisibility Cloak out of her bag before flinging it over her and Justin's heads. Wall, he breathed, shoving both of them in the shoulders.
She might have laughed at his one-legged hopping as he tugged his boots off, but her adrenaline was racing, and all she could think about was protecting them from something. She and Justin ran towards the far wall as stone began sliding against stone, and they both hunkered down until the cloak was covering them.
Do- Justin went silent with the hand she held in front of his face.
Her nails bit into her palm with the grip on her wand, and she tried to control her breathing. Justin sounded as if he had just raced across the castle, and his arm slipped against hers in the slickness of their sweat. Hermione felt drops slide down her face and back, cooler against the heat of her skin. She felt itchy with the prickle of heat, and had to keep blinking to ward off the burning in her eyes.
Malfoy pulled off his robe and tossed it onto the bed, then moved to place the strap of his bag over a knob on his dresser.
Did you just get in Malfoy? a male voice asked from the wall across from them. Hermione could only make out the bottom of his legs.
A few minutes ago, yes.
You're cutting it too close.
My curfew is for 11 o'clock. Cutting it too close would be 11:01 o'clock. Hermione heard a small cackle of nearly-formed letters in Malfoy's voice, but he held back on speaking them.
No, then you'd be late, and breaking the rules of your probation. If you want to go back to Azkaban for a minute of extra time, I've no problem escorting you.
There was silence in the room, but Hermione could see Malfoy's fists clenching. I'm here on time, which makes this conversation pointless. If you'll excuse yourself, I would like to sleep, and since any form of harming including sleep-deprivation would violate your rules, I highly suggest you let me get to it.
There was a pause, and then the man said something that had Malfoy's fists clenched again. The stone began its grinding noise, and Justin sucked in a breath he was doing his best to muffle. There was silence for five beats of her heart against her throat, and then Malfoy turned towards them, his steps slow and measured.
Keep it on hand, he said lowly, opening a door near them and walking through it.
We're okay? Justin whispered.
We wouldn't have been had he still been here when you asked. She expected the door to slam, but it clicked behind Malfoy instead.
Justin ripped the cloak over his head, and Hermione helped, pulling it off her. She took deep breaths of the cooler air, fanning a hand at her overheated skin. Justin picked up the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face, and then looked at her over a fold of the oxford. He jerked his eyes towards the door Malfoy had disappeared through, then to the wall that must have had an opening they couldn't see. Justin shook his head at her, and Hermione shrugged.
He has a curfew, she whispered when water turned on in the other room.
I got that. How did he Portkey us into Hogwarts? And why?
Hermione shook her head. He knew thought we were lost, and did us a small favor, maybe. She cleared her throat. How I don't know. There's no way he could have unless it was authorized. But why would they give him a Portkey? They would expect him to be back on time or they'd kick him out.
Justin glanced at the door. Maybe they force him to come back in time to make sure he doesn't go into hiding somewhere?
Hermione nodded. But the man acted like he could be late.
They could not want him to know he has a Portkey. He looked surprised when it activated.
Hermione hummed, seeing his eyes flash through her mind. He had looked surprised. But-
By how well you can hear my actions in this bathroom, you should have been able to gather that the walls are thin. Whispering only makes you appear like idiots. Though I do doubt you appear that way all the time just because you like to.
Hermione scowled at the door. Were you aware of the Portkey? Silence. If he was or wasn't, they definitely would have had to authorize it. Do they know if you Portkeyed in with anyone, where it activated, or if it activated at-
I don't know. Judging by his lack of concern for searching my bedroom, I would assume not.
Hermione had other questions, but they got hung up somewhere around bedroom, and fell off into forgotten territory. She blinked at the door twice before turning to look at the room she was in. It was sadder than hers. There was a fireplace against one wall, a small dresser against another, and his bed with a bedside table pushed against a third. The bed was as small as all dormitory beds, but lacked any curtains. The sheets and pillowcases were white, and the blanket was brown, with a black trunk on the floor against the footboard . There was no sign of House affiliation beyond the tie tossed onto his bed, and the most personal items were his clothes and trunk. No nostalgic little objects, pictures, or decoration of any sort.
For someone so bent on not ending up in a prison cell, he did little to make it look like he wasn't already in one.
Are we in the Slytherin dormitory? Justin asked, running a finger down the wall.
No. But we might be in the dungeons. We can use the cloak, and we'll stop by your-
It's not possible. Malfoy emerged from the loo looking far less sweaty than Hermione felt. The front of his hair was pushed back, and he had one more button undone than was code-approved for their uniform shirts. His sleeves were folded up enough to show more than his wrists, but not enough, she thought, to show the scar of any Dark Mark. He had a freckle or a fleck of dirt on the knot of his wrist bone.
What do you mean by that? Justin asked, and Hermione blinked her gaze to her shoes at the realization she had been inspecting Malfoy far too closely. It was just because she rarely got close enough to do so while not being distracted by his sneer or rude words. New things always made her curious.
The door is sealed.
You can't open it? Hermione asked.
I haven't tried, but if you'd like to set off the wards and alarms, I'm sure you'll find an insufficient excuse for when the Aurors show up.
Hermione stared at Malfoy, dread dropping cold in her stomach. How intense are the wards? Malfoy looked at her like she was an idiot, and she barely restrained herself from lashing out at him. So we're stuck here until when?
The wards are dropped at five.
In the morning? Justin groaned. Does the Auror come back to do it, or are the wards set up that way?
If he does it, he doesn't enter to do so. Malfoy was uncomfortable. He had lined himself up between them and his trunk, arguably the most personal belonging in the room, and his entire stance was defensive.
What if there are no wards? Have you tried to get out before then? They could just have you think there are wards. Like telling someone you're going to do something harmful if they do something again you won't, but the threat gets them to stop.
Hermione shook her head at Justin, pulling her palm off the wall. There's definitely wards.
Well I call the bathtub. Unless you want it? Justin gave a questioning look to her frown. Do you have any extra blankets or pillows, Malfoy?
No.
We probably can't use magic in here to transfigure anything, huh? Justin asked.
Malfoy didn't bother responding. Hermione shifted awkwardly on her feet. She did not want to sleep in Malfoy's bedroom tonight, even if she was on the floor and as far from his bed as possible. She didn't know what her life had become that this was even a possibility. Sleep was one of the most vulnerable positions a person could be in, and while Malfoy hadn't taken any of the many opportunities to prove himself evil, she still saw him as dangerous.
He wouldn't do anything, though. Beyond her belief that he had left behind his former life somewhere in the post-battle haze of the Great Hall, he wouldn't risk everything by trying to attack her in her sleep. Not that he wasn't currently looking at her like he might. She was glad Justin was there it would have been a lot worse had she been alone. Especially if she hadn't reached out to grab him in the forest, and then known she was stuck here without being able to help him back to the castle.
Maybe she should thank Malfoy for taking them, even if it did get them stuck here. She glanced at him from the top of her vision, and then hummed lightly. Maybe not.
We can use our robes, Hermione said softly, moving to unbutton hers before her fingers got caught up on the first one. Malfoy's staring made her feel like removing a robe was removing far too much clothing.
Yeah, Justin said, shrugging out of his own. He laughed lightly, his eyes bright when he looked at her. I don't know, Hermione. You always find yourself waking up in some person's bedroom.
Hermione's eyes widened as Malfoy made an odd noise, which she registered as suppressed laughter when he burst into it. Justin looked back and forth between them, smiling slightly as if he were waiting to get the joke. Hermione pointed a finger at Malfoy, narrowing her eyes as her cheeks flamed.
That is not what he meant!
Wh- No, no! Justin put his hands up in front of him, shaking them in time with his head.
It really is the ones you never expected. Having-
Malfoy, if you finish that, I will harm you.
Hermione woke up stiff and cramped, a muscle in her neck protesting movement. She took a deep breath, uneasily eying the snakes in the middle of the room. She tapped the ground as they slid over one another, searching for her dropped wand. She cast a quick Stunning Spell that had no effect, but at least she knew it was just a vision.
There were no windows in the room to guess the time, but she felt like she had been in there for days. Pulling the open book from her chest, she placed it beside her, organizing her work area in the faint light from the dying fire. She had attempted to stay awake, but the day before had been exhausting, and sleep took her somewhere in the forty-second chapter of her Astronomy text.
She got to her feet a bit wobbly at the knees. Sleeping fully on the floor would have likely been more comfortable than sitting on it while being propped against the wall. She hoped her spine, neck, and bum could recover before she had to sit through classes all day.
A pair of gleaming eyes caught her attention, and she looked at Malfoy's bed. Panic flared for a second before she reminded herself that the snakes weren't truly there. If they were, Malfoy's arm would have been in danger of losing circulation. If he could have felt it, he would have woken up by now his test of the scorpion must have been correct.
Hermione shivered as she picked her robe up, sliding it on. Malfoy was sleeping in his trousers and a long-sleeved shirt, and she wondered if that was typical or just because of her and Justin. The top of the blanket was at his waist, and the shirt had ridden up in his sleep. She could see a sliver of skin at the bottom of his stomach, and the firelight caught a line of golden hairs in the center.
There was something about that patch of skin that felt too intimate to be looking at, and it felt odder still when she raised her eyes to his face. His hair was in a multitude of directions, and his expression was relaxed. It was softer than he could even manage in his feigned boredom and apathy, and he'd never looked so approachable as he did then.
Hermione visually traced the lines of shadows and light across the structure of his face. The eyes darting back and forth beneath his eyelids in dreaming, the long and slightly pointed nose, the line of his cheekbones. His mouth was barely open, and his lips looked soft and full, the bottom slightly bigger than the top. He'd lost the sharper point to his chin, but it might have been more detectable at a different angle, or when she wasn't examining the strong line of his jaw. There were few times she'd ever noticed it when that muscle wasn't clenching.
She felt like she was trespassing. She doubted many people had seen him so vulnerable, but she couldn't stop looking. He was so different in sleep, without the walls and constructions he erected while awake. She couldn't find any trace of hatred or anger, or the boy that once was proud to have Voldemort know his name. For a moment, she saw his face from hours earlier, his eyes shut and his grin wide as he laughed, the faint tinge of pink across his cheekbones.
She wondered what he was dreaming of. If it was one of those dreams like she sometimes had, when she woke in the middle of the night in a layer of sweat and fear, reaching for her wand.
Hermione jumped violently at the squeak of sound behind her, whirling with her heart in her throat. It took her a second to emerge from her thoughts and piece it together, remembering that Justin was sleeping in the tub. She turned her head towards Malfoy, feeling guilty and apprehensive, as if he had just caught her looking through his things. His eyes were still shut, but they were no longer moving beneath the lids, and she had a feeling he wasn't sleeping any longer.
The clock beside his bed ticked closer to Breakfast, and she knew the door must have been opened by now. She collected her things quickly, avoiding the sight of Malfoy, and wondered if his gaze was there or in her imagination. She left him a quick note, dropping it onto the corner of his bed.
Justin was snoring when she entered the loo, and she had to shake his shoulder four times before he responded.
Uh-huh.
Justin, she whispered again. Come on.
Yeah. He turned his back to her, and she huffed, shaking his shoulder harder.
Justin, we have to go-
He sucked in a loud breath, lifting his head, and began flopping in the tub like a fish on a rock. Hermione cringed at the loud squeaks and banging until he finally got on his back in the cramped space, pushing up on his elbows.
Wha' happen?
Nothing, we just have to go before the castle wakes up. If they hadn't all woken up from his struggles of conquering bathtub positions.
Ah, right, right, he said, dropping down fully again.
Hermione waited a pause as his eyelids fell shut. Just-
I'm up!
Hermione rolled her eyes as he finally sat up, and she quickly shoved his things into his school bag, handing it to him when he got out of the tub.
Thanks.
She hummed, smoothing her hair down, and led him out of the loo. She was expecting Malfoy to be glaring at them when they exited, but he was still laying in bed. His eyes were shut, but she could spot the differences now between his state of repose and wakefulness. Her eyes drifted for a second to that bared line of skin at his stomach, before she turned sharply, speeding up her steps to the exit.
That was fun, Justin grumbled.
Hermione waited until the stone slid shut behind them. Better than I had expected, actually.
So you expected us to get lost?
She shot him a glare with no heat as they started down the corridor. We weren't lost.
Right. He nodded. Just directionally confused.
He laughed when she smacked him the arm, and she restrained her answering smile.