Draco couldn't understand why he had lost his appetite and felt uneasy since reading the note Ron gave him. So, instead of going to the Slytherin table, he turned and walked out of the Great Hall. He decided that he should just go lay down, so he headed for the dungeons to go to the Slytherin house. There were a few people that he passed on his way, but no one bothered Draco. He climbed through the entrance to the House and went to his dormitory. He tossed his bag on top of his trunk and sat down on his bed, his face in his hands.
Everything is finally going right, so why do I feel sick to my stomach about it? Draco pondered as he fell back onto his bed, letting his arms fall on either side of him, staring up at nothing in particular. He had wanted Hermione to be friends with Ron and Harry. She always seemed really nervous when Draco brought that subject up with her, so he never pushed her about it.
Draco let out a sigh; then, sat back up and got back on his feet again. He figured that it would be better for him to just stay in the dormitory for the night and go to bed early. So, he changed out of his uniform and put on a pair of pajama pants.
As he got back onto his bed, Draco felt a headache coming on. He thought that it was from the stress of the day. He laid down and tried to relax. Eventually, he fell a restless sleep.
Draco tossed and turned all night. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, he decided to get up. Being so early in the morning, Draco figured that there wouldn't be anyone else awake. He grabbed a shirt to put on his bare chest and quietly walked out of the room, going into the common room. With a quick glance, he saw that he was right about no one else being up. He saw that the fire was still burning in the fireplace. He walked over to the sofa that was in front of the fireplace and sat down. Draco watched the flames dance over one another, slowly consuming the logs beneath them.
Wonder what Hermione is doing right now? He thought to himself. Then, images flashed through his mind of Hermione sleeping in a bed, similar to his that was in his dormitory. He imagined that she would curl herself into a ball, her hair tied back and her snuggling up to her pillow. In another picture that he imagined, Draco could see that she might splay herself across her bed. Draco couldn't help but to chuckle thinking about how Hermione might be sleeping. He found both extremes to be very cute in their own way.
Draco sat in front of the flame, watching it twist this way and that way burning for some time. Soon, he realized that his Housemates would be waking up soon. As if they were on queue, he could hear people stirring in the dormitories. He went back to his own, taking his time, to change into his uniform and get ready for the day.
As he grabbed his school bag to put his books and supplies in for the day, he saw the note Ron had given him last night sitting on his nightstand. Draco turned his attention back to the task at hand. His dorm mates were getting ready around him, so he threw the note in his bag, to avoid anyone seeing it.
Once Draco had his things set, he felt the result of skipping dinner last night. On that note, he left the dormitory. Then, he followed a few of the other Slytherins that were leaving and headed up to the Great Hall.
There were a number of students in there when Draco reach the Great Hall, but none of them was the one Draco wanted to see. He went over to the Slytherin table and slowly ate a couple platefuls of breakfast food.
After feeling that he had lollygagged long enough (and to avoid Pansy, he knew that she should be coming soon), Draco got to his feet, left the Great Hall and started to head up the stairs to the Transfiguration classroom. He was climbing the steps when he heard a pair of familiar voices from a flight above him. He looked up to see Hermione and Luna chatting animatedly, as the descended down the stairs.
Just seeing Hermione made Draco feel better. He stopped on the step he was about to climb and waited for the girls to reach him. When they got to the top stair of the flight he was standing on, Hermione and Luna looked at him and Hermione smiled at him.
"Oh, Draco, are you feeling better?" Luna asked. Luna was the only student, aside from Hermione, that called him by his first name. Draco figured she picked the habit up from Hermione. Draco really didn't really mind that Luna did it, anyway.
"What?" Draco was confused.
"Well, we found my missing things," she paused to point out her feet were indeed covered and no longer bare, "And went down to the Great Hall to eat supper. We saw that you were already walking out and you didn't look like you were feeling good." Luna finished with a caring smile. She always did have a knack for speaking the out right truth.
"Oh, I-I'm good. Thanks." Draco replied.
"Well, I'm going to go on," Luna said, taking a few steps away from Hermione, only to turn back and say, "I'll see you down there, ok?"
"Yeah, ok, see you soon." Hermione said.
Luna turned back around and continued walking down the flight. As she slowly passed Draco, she gave him a wink and had a smile that said she was up to something. Then, she went around the corner as was gone.
"Are you really alright?" Hermione asked, taking a step closer to Draco, "I was worried about you."
Draco's heart skipped a beat. He reached his hand out and grabbed onto the railing of the staircase, then looked up at Hermione. She had her hair pulled up in a ponytail again. Her eyes went back and forth on his face, like she was searching for an answer.
"I'm good, Hermione," he said, smiling up at her, "Don't worry about me."
"But you're my best friend," she said, placing her hand on top of his that rested on the railing, as if for emphasis, "I can't help but worry about you." She had a slight tinge of pink going across her cheeks.
Draco felt his own face start to burn as blush crossed it. For a moment, they just stood there, not saying anything.
"Y-you're my best friend, too." Draco said, his thumb gently stroking her hand. "I'd be lost without you."
Hermione stared down at her feet, not saying anything for a moment. Draco could tell that she was hiding her face from him on purpose. He couldn't figure out why. Well, he did know how to read her expressions.
"I hate to do this, Draco, but, I better get going," she finally said, breaking his thought process, "Got to eat something." She slowly removed her hand from off his.
"Right! Sorry!" Draco shoved his hand into the pockets of his trousers.
"Well, see you in class later." Hermione started to walk down the stairs.
"Hermione?" he turned to catch her before she left.
"Yes?" she said with a cute smile.
"Just…I want to talk to you about something…later."
"Is something the matter?" she asked, starting to turn back around to face Draco, her face expressing that she was concerned.
"No, it's nothing serious," Draco said, "Just need to talk, later."
"Oh, ok. We will talk later, then." She turned back around and continued climbing down the steps. Draco watched her until she was out of sight. He noticed that floral scent again as she walked by him.
So she is wearing perfume. But why?
Draco pondered this as he turned back around and climbed up the steps to the Transfiguration class.
Well, well. It seems the Hermione is trying to "do the girl thing"
Anywho, reviews are always welcomed. ^_^v