Title: hope is the thing with feathers
Summary: It's more than Draco can bear to find beauty in anything.
It's February and the stairwell is icy. Draco picks his way carefully up the astronomy tower because his legs are shaky these days. He's got another cold, and he's not getting enough sleep, and the only excuse he tells Pansy anymore is shut up. By the time he's closed the door, he's heady with panting and he doesn't even notice that someone is there.
When Draco finally opens his eyes, it's to see Hermione Granger curled against the foot of a bird cage, cheeks wet, staring at him.
Draco has to catch himself on the door, because for a moment he thinks she's figured it all out and that it's all over. Mother. Father.
"What are you doing here?" Granger asks.
Relief numbs him to the tips of his fingers. "S-shut up." He's about to tell her to move out of his way when he looks up at the bird cage and stops short.
It's empty.
He slumps against the closest wall, at a loss. They sit there together for a while in silence.
"It's beautiful up here," she says at last. "That's why I'm here."
"You think I care?" he grumbles. He notices her cheeks are dry now.
"No. I dunno. Maybe." She shrugs, standing. "There is so little to find beauty in these days."
When she pulls out her wand, he is too tired to be alarmed, but it doesn't matter. She points it at the bird cage. "Avis."
Gold light draws from her wand, unfolding into fragile wings. A sparrow.
"Beautiful," she says firmly. With a nod, she leaves.
It takes Malfoy only a moment to get to his feet and approach the cage. The bird is warm and delicate in his hands. Beautiful?
I'll take your word for it.
Draco heads for the Room of Requirement.