Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Note: Does anyone know that happened to the story "I didn't know you cared" by RootBeerFloat? Please tell me if you do. Thanks.
The bell rang at the end of Hermione's Arithmancy class.
Hermione slowly gathered up her things, savoring the last couple of minutes before Ron came to invade her life again.
She went outside the classroom and stood against the wall waiting.
There he was. Rounding the corner. Without Harry.
"Where's Harry?" Asked Hermione.
"I told him we'd meet him in Potions." Said Ron.
"Do you have homework in Arithmancy?" Asked Ron.
"A little." Replied Hermione.
"What is it?" Pried Ron.
"An essay." Said Hermione.
The rest of the way was spent in silence.
Finally they reached Snape's classroom down in the dungeons. Most of the class was assembled there. They had the class with the Slytherins.
Harry spotted them and came over.
Professor Snape arrived shortly after and brushed them all into his classroom.
"Now," He said. "Today you will be making a Serenity Potion. One goblet full is enough to relax even the most worrisome. When taken in higher doses, however, it causes the drinker to fall into an un-wakeable sleep, cured only by a very complex antidote."
"But let's not waste our time talking about mistakes none but a fool would make." He paused here to look purposefully at Neville who shrunk away. "You have the rest of the class to work. Begin." Snape concluded.
The students set about gathering ingredients for the potion.
Hermione was finally able to get into the storeroom. Ron was by her side.
After getting all the ingredients, they returned to the table where Harry was sitting and began concocting the potion.
About halfway through making the potion, Hermione realized she was out of sea salt water. The recipe called for 10 drops and Hermione only had 5 drops. She got up to go back to the storeroom.
"Where are you going?" Ron asked without taking his eyes from his potion.
"To the storeroom. We're out of sea salt water." Hermione said.
Ron checked the bottle to see if it was empty. Then went back to his own potion.
Hermione saw this as an OK to go to the storeroom.
"Saltwater…saltwater…" Hermione muttered to herself as she walked through the rows of ingredients.
"Is that you Granger?" It was Draco.
"Malfoy?" Hermione questioned.
"Say no more. You'd recognize that voice anywhere." Said Draco.
"What do you mean?" Asked Hermione in a defensive tone. But Draco just laughed and walked out of the storeroom.
Hermione found the sea salt water and walked back to her table. Ron said nothing but eyed her suspiciously when she say down.
When the class ended, the students bottled their potion and took it up to Snape's desk for grading.
Before they got a chance to leave he said, "Homework, an essay on the fundamentals of the Serenity Potion, eight inches long, to be handed in tomorrow."
The class waited until they got outside to groan.
At dinner that night, Hermione was thinking about patrolling that night. Several hours away from Ron. Yay! She wasn't very talkative.
Ron had other things on his mind at the moment.
"What were you and Malfoy talking about in the storeroom today?" Asked Ron.
Hermione was about to say that he was making snide comments but then thought Ron would want to get even. For some reason, she didn't want Ron going after Malfoy.
"I think he thought I was someone else and asked where an ingredient was. But then he realized it was me and walked out."
Hermione hoped this satisfied Ron. She couldn't think of anything else to say. Here she was lying about Malfoy. Things were definitely looking strange.
"He didn't say anything rude?" Ron looked skeptical.
"No. He was probably in a hurry." Hermione said. "Idiot." She added to make it believable.
Harry snagged Ron in a conversation just then so the matter was put to rest.
After dinner, Hermione went up to the common room to start her homework. She had until a few minutes before eight o'clock to work. It was now seven so she had an hour.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick, tock.
At five minutes until eight, Hermione put her things away and said she was going down to McGonnagall's office to start her patrolling. She waited for Ron to say he would walk her down there.
"I'll come with you." Said Ron.
They both left the common room.
"Remember, I'll be waiting up for you." Said Ron.
"Okay." Said Hermione.
"Tell me if Malfoy does anything."
"Okay." Said Hermione. He probably won't. But what if he did?
They reached McGonnagall's office.
I played Draco's game here. I wonder if he'll do something like that tonight?
"Come back as soon as you're done." Said Ron
"I will." Said Hermione as she knocked on McGonnagall's door. What if he came looking for me? But he doesn't know when the patrolling ends. But what if he really does and is testing me? (shivers) I'm sure he doesn't. He would say to be back 5 minutes after I was done. I think.
"Hello Miss Granger. Mr. Weasley, you are going back to the common room I assume?" Said McGonnagall when she opened the door.
"Yes. I was just walking Hermione down." Said Ron. "Bye." He said to Hermione, then turned and left.
Hermione walked into McGonnagall's office. There was a cheery fire crackling merrily in the grate. Draco was already there.
McGonnagall went over the rules for patrolling, like she had done on the train. They were to patrol from eight to ten. Then check in and record anything at their workroom. Then from ten twenty to eleven thirty and record again. This took place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
"So without further talk, you may start patrolling." McGonnagall said.
Draco and Hermione stood up and left. When they reached the Great Hall, Hermione said, "We should, you know, stay together. If there's a tough situation, two people against one are better than one."
"You're right, I guess." Draco said. He stopped himself before adding a comment.
So they set off. Up to the second floor, down the corridors, checking in random rooms, up to the third floor, fourth floor, and so on. They didn't say much. Neither of them could think of anything to say.
At ten minutes to ten twenty, Draco and Hermione headed down to their first floor workroom.
This was their first time visiting it. They found the portrait of Sertia the Snide. There was the door across from it. "Sherbet Ball" said Draco. The door opened and they walked in.
The workroom was nice looking. Not many frills, but still nice. A polished oak table stood in the middle with two straight-backed chairs. This presumably was for studying. There was a fireplace at one end with two chairs and a table in between. A window faced the north. There was also a stack of parchment and a supply of quills on top of the table.
"Well, this will be a nice, quiet place to study." Said Hermione.
"It's pretty bare." Said Draco. "For the Heads, you'd think they would add some extras."
"Just because we're Heads doesn't mean we're royalty." Said Hermione matter –of- factly.
Draco said something incomprehensible.
"Let's get this done, we're wasting time." Said Hermione. It was ten 'o five. They had fifteen more minutes.
"What do we need to record?" Asked Draco.
"Well, we didn't stop anybody, there wasn't anything fishy. So we should just write that we patrolled and all was well."
They both reached for a quill at once. Their hands briefly touched. Both tore their hands away as if they'd been burned.
To both, the room had increased in temperature by about 15 degrees.
"You can write it." Draco said.
Hermione recorded and replaced the quill. It was 10:10.
"We have ten minutes left." Said Hermione.
Draco said nothing.
They both stood around for a minute before Hermione went over and took a seat by the fire. Draco stood somewhere behind her.
Silence.
Hermione looked at the clock. Ten Fifteen. Five more minutes. This is awkward.
Draco coughed.
Hermione tapped her fingers.
Ten twenty finally came.
"I guess we'd better get back to work." Hermione said.
"Yeah we probably should." Draco said.
They were both glad to get out of the awkward workroom.
They set off on their route again. First floor, second floor, third floor, fourth floor. They thought they heard something in an empty classroom but it was only a ghost.
"We should check the towers." Said Draco.
"Oh, yeah. We didn't do that last time." Said Hermione.
They headed up the many flights of stairs for the towers. Past the divination trapdoor, all the way up to the West Tower.
It was a clear night. The stars and moon were very bright. You could see Hogsmeade in the distance.
"It's such a beautiful night." Said Hermione before she could stop herself.
Draco agreed but didn't say anything. He went over and leaned on the battlements. Hermione watched him. He was apparently deep in thought. Hermione went over to the battlements and looked out as well. But made sure to maintain a distance.
I wish I could say something. It feels so weird. This silence is so strong. My mind is blank though. And why should I be trying to make conversation with Draco? Well, Malfoy. But it would be nice to say something.
"The Forbidden Forest looks big from up here." Said Hermione on a whim. A moment later she thought that sounded stupid.
"Yeah." Draco agreed. "Really big." He thought he sounded stupid after he said that.
"It's kind of scary in there actually." Said Hermione.
"Yeah. There is some strange stuff in there." Said Draco.
They started reminiscing about the times they had been in the forest, whether legal or not.
All of a sudden Hermione thought of the time.
"Oh no!" What time is it? We've been up here for almost an hour!"
"I don't know. Where's a clock?" Draco asked.
"I don't know but we have to get back to the workroom." Hermione said in a rush.
They both rushed out of the tower and down to the workroom. They were panting by the time they got there.
"Sherbet Ball" Draco said gaining some of his breath back.
Back in the workroom they saw it was 11:40. Ron! Hermione thought. But then remembered he didn't know when she would be getting back. If he suspected she could tell him they had to report someone to McGonnagall.
Draco and Hermione collapsed in the chairs by the fire. Not bothering to light it.
"I don't feel like going back yet." Draco said.
"Me neither." Hermione agreed.
They both sat there for a while. The dreaded silence was coming back.
Hermione stood up and started walking around, pretending to look at the surroundings. Then sat on the table in the middle of the room.
"You know, we could play a game." Said Draco.
"Another? I don't know. There isn't much time." Hermione said.
"Time? Do you have a date or something?" Draco asked laughing.
"No. I just, you know, I don't know…" Hermione trailed off.
"Well, you're probably right." Said Draco getting up and heading across the room.
Hermione hopped off the table as he was going by.
"Well, what were you thinking of?" She asked.
Draco stopped and turned. They were close. He looked at the ground, the wall.
Hermione realized they were close. Very close. Her heart did a weird skittering thing.
"Just a crazy game." But it's late. There's always Wednesday anyway." Draco said. Was that disappointment in his voice?
"Oh. Okay." Said Hermione. With some disappointment in her voice.
They both looked at each other for a second. What was that she saw in Draco's eyes?
Then they both left the workroom. It was midnight.
Going down the stairs, Draco left to go down to the dungeons. Hermione went up the stairs and up to Gryffindor tower.
After giving the password, she climbed through the portrait hole. Ron was there, waiting as expected.
"You're back finally." Said Ron. "So you patrol for four hours?"
"Hermione said they patrolled for a while and checked in. Then patrolled for the rest of the time."
It was late and they both were tired. So Ron didn't question further. He came over to her though and whispered in her ear, "We'll always be together. Always, Hermione."
Hermione shivered. "It's cold." She said. "Well, Good night."
"Good night." Said Ron. And they went up their respective stairs to their dormitories.
When Hermione reached hers, she got into her pajamas and got into bed. She thought over that nights patrolling and her conversation with Draco.
With a smile, she turned over and went to sleep knowing that she had something to look forward to now.
In Draco's dormitory, he also was thinking over the night's happenings. He had a smile, not a smirk on his face as he turned over and went to sleep.
And the plot thickens. Ever so slightly.